Benita Nava Martínez, a potter from Villarrobledo

Abstract

Villarrobledo is one of the ceramic centers where clay work has been documented since at least the 16th century. Starting in the 19th century, and more specifically in the first half of the 20th century, it was identified with the production of large jars for the production and conservation of La Mancha wine. The job of tinajero was a predominantly male activity, but the existence of women who worked in these potteries is known and in this work we unravel through the figure of Benita Nava Martínez. Women potters had a fundamental role in the auxiliary work of the pottery and in the realization of the so-called "small work", as happened with the Nava Martínez sisters (Benita, Dolores, Rosario and María Antonia), daughters of the tinajero Manuel Nava Pérez. Benita stands out especially, considered the most important potter of the 20th century in Villarrobledo, whose works can today be seen in museums and private collections in Spain.