Vintage Tonala Barro Brunido Tray Bird Mexico Folk Art Pottery Platter 1940s

Product Overview
A vintage Mexican barro bruñido (burnished clay) rectangular tray / charola from Tonalá, Jalisco. On a cream slip ground, a blue long-tailed bird with a plume fan is hand-painted with green leaves and spiral accents in mineral pigments, framed by an X-and-cone patterned border and a dark brown rim. The surface has the soft, waxy sheen unique to the bruñido technique, where the clay is polished with a stone before firing rather than glazed. The unglazed back carries an impressed circular "HECHO EN MEXICO" seal. From the estate of American artist Dee Marcellus Cole.

Size and Weight (approx.)
12.5"L x 10"W x 2.25"H (31.8 x 25.4 x 5.7 cm) | Weight: 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg)

Material
Low-fired earthenware with slip and mineral-pigment hand painting, stone-burnished (bruñido) finish. Unglazed back. Handmade, hand-painted.

Condition
Sold as found, with honest age wear throughout.

• Fine crazing (crackle) over the whole surface
• Heavy dark staining / discoloration across the back, consistent with heat or smoke exposure
• One prominent crack running through from the back to the inner side wall, passing near the impressed seal — visible on both sides. It appears old and stable, with dark residue along the line that may be a historic stabilization attempt (shown in the photos)
• Paint wear and small losses along the rim and corners, plus surface scratches and color variation
• The tray remains in one piece and displays well, but please note this is a genuinely cracked piece — judge it from the photos

As with most vintage folk pottery, this piece is sold for decorative use only (wall or shelf display) — not for food service or oven use. Please review all photos as part of the description.