From Tobatí to China, women keep Paraguay’s clay tradition alive

For Carolina Noguera, clay carries a family history that stretches across generations. The artisan from Tobatí’s 21 de Julio community learned pottery from her mother, Mercedes Noguera, and now teaches the craft to her own daughters.

Noguera’s story appears in “Daughters of Clay,” a three-part international documentary produced by CGTN Español, part of China Media Group. The series connects Paraguay’s ñai’ũpo tradition with the ceramic culture of Jingdezhen, China, known as the “world porcelain capital.”

Her mother continued working with clay while raising 15 children, and her knowledge passed to Carolina and her sisters. The documentary presents pottery as more than the making of objects. It follows the preservation of techniques and experience through family teaching.

Noguera’s work covers nearly the entire production process. She gathers ñai’ũ, or black clay, and kaolin, or white clay, then prepares the material, shapes and polishes the pieces, and fires them in wood-burning kilns. Her black angels get their distinctive color through traditional smoking during firing.

Her work has reached beyond Tobatí. Pieces form part of the permanent collection at the Museo del Barro and have appeared in international exhibitions, including one in Paris. The tradition continues through the hands of Tobatí’s women artisans.