Wheel Potter © Marilyn Anderson. Woodcut, 9 1/16″ x 11 7/8″
The Spanish introduced the potter’s wheel after their arrival in the Americas and, indeed, some of the pottery done in Guatemala still shows the influence of Spain in its shapes, patterns and glazes. Making pottery using the wheel is, of course, faster than hand building. Wheel potters use glazes (generally hand potters do not) and large kilns to produce many more vessels than can the artisan who uses an open fire and a pit production method. Certain towns in Guatemala, such as Totonicapán and Antigua, have long been known for their wheel made ceramic production.
The ancient Maya made remarkable pottery without use of a pottery wheel and decorated them with glyphs and and other motifs, all of which which offer much information about their religious beliefs, ceremonies and daily life.