Markings and Symbols

Markings and Symbols is a sculpture done in five pounds of clay. It is a classic combination of culturally exposed clay and black mineral clay pigment with fine sgraffito work. The metallic color is added to the sgraffito to create a contemporary layer of color in the classic traditional symbols.

The petroglyph work is left in native clay, exposing slip and native clay body, in the Zapatera petroglyph designs unique to the zone of Nicaragua where my studio is — a way to bring both celestial design work and local traditional markings onto the same sculpture.

Kick-wheel thrown, burnished, and sgraffito-carved in my San Juan de Oriente studio.

My Process

Every Atlantis sculpture begins with the same Gran Nicoya materials that have been worked in San Juan de Oriente for more than a thousand years: local dug clay, sourced slip clay, burnished slip color, and etching and carving back down through those layers to the clay beneath.

Enhanced slip colors and my own application techniques bring innovation to that palette while the traditional methods stay exactly as they were.

And here is the irony: it is the native no-glaze method that opens the door to the contemporary layer. Because nothing seals the surface, I can come back after the firing and hand-paint modern color directly into the exposed clay.

Specifications

• Made by Paul Devoti and the Atlantis Studio team
• Origin: Atlantis Studio, San Juan de Oriente, Nicaragua
• Tradition: Gran Nicoya clay technique
• Glaze: none — all fired color is clay slip
• Edition: unique, one of one
• Signed: Atlantis — PHD
• Height: 12 in
• Width: 9 in
• Depth: 9 in
• Weight: 5 lb

Frequently Asked:

Are designs repeated? Every sculpture is a one-of-a-kind expression within a design collection. Nothing is cast, duplicated or reproduced — each one meticulously handcrafted.

How is it packed and shipped? Made in Nicaragua, ships from North Carolina — no international transit, no customs, no duty for US buyers. Boxed by hand, fully insured. Typically delivered within 5 business days.

Can I return a piece? Fourteen days from delivery, in original packaging and original condition.

How do I care for it? Dust with a dry soft cloth. No water, no oils, no polish. Not for outdoor use.