Pottery

104 products

Pottery

HAND-COILED AND TRADITIONALLY FIRED

Pueblo pottery dates back as far as 150 CE and was entirely utilitarian. The arrival of railroads and tourists caused the emergence of pottery as art. Not only is pottery beautiful to look at, but it is also very remarkable that the pottery artists of today make their pots in the same manner that their ancestors did hundreds or thousands of years ago.

The clay to make the pots is still being gathered at historic sites near their pueblos. After gathering the clay and painstakingly preparing it, the potters form the coils, or ropes, of clay and shape the pot coil by coil. Then the pot is dried, scraped with a piece of gourd, sanded, and slipped with a fine clay mixture. The pot is polished over and over with a polishing stone often handed down from generation to generation. The skillful polisher gives the pot its lasting and beautiful sheen. Pueblo pottery is hand-coiled, and no wheel is used – which makes the perfect symmetry of the pots even more impressive. Pots are still traditionally fired in an open pit fire outdoors utilizing slabs of wood for fuel. The fire can be smothered with sheep manure to turn the clay a deep black color.

Santa Clara (often carved) and San Ildefonso pottery are usually red or black. If a pot is to be painted (e.g. Hopi or Acoma pottery) the potters make their own vegetal or mineral paints; using the blade of a yucca cactus, they paint their designs freehand. Many artists still hand paint their designs with natural pigments from materials gathered near their homes. The traditional potters fire their pots in a homemade oven built outdoors.

Read More: The History and Significance of Southwestern Native American Pottery
104 products
1990s Isleta Polychrome Canteen by Dora Jojola - Garland's
1990s Isleta Polychrome Canteen by Dora Jojola - Garland's
Prehistoric Parrot Pot by Kyle Kootswatewa - Garland's
Prehistoric Parrot Pot by Kyle Kootswatewa - Garland's
Hopi Jar by Kyle Kootswatewa - Garland's
Hopi Jar by Kyle Kootswatewa - Garland's
Acoma Pot by Corrine Louis - Garland's
Acoma Pot by Corrine Louis - Garland's
Acoma Pot by Corrine Louis - Garland's
Acoma Pot by Corrine Louis - Garland's
Acoma Pot by Corrine Louis - Garland's
Acoma Pot by Corrine Louis - Garland's
1990s Hopi Duck Pot by Thomas Polacca - Garland's
1990s Hopi Duck Pot by Thomas Polacca - Garland's
1970s Hopi Canteen by Patricia Honie - Garland's
1970s Hopi Canteen by Patricia Honie - Garland's
Historic Zuni Olla by Vintage Collection - Garland's
Historic Zuni Olla by Vintage Collection - Garland's
Santa Clara Wedding Vase by LuAnn Tafoya - Garland's
Santa Clara Wedding Vase by LuAnn Tafoya - Garland's
Pottery Figure by Irwin and Jeanette Pecos - Garland's
Pottery Figure by Irwin and Jeanette Pecos - Garland's
Hopi Seed Jar by Charles Navasie - Garland's
Hopi Seed Jar by Charles Navasie - Garland's
Hopi Jar by Lawrence and Maxwell Namoki - Garland's
Hopi Jar by Lawrence and Maxwell Namoki - Garland's
San Ildefonso Canteen by Vintage Collection - Garland's
San Ildefonso Canteen by Vintage Collection - Garland's
Sale
1885 Zuni Polychrome Jar by Vintage Collection - Garland's
1885 Zuni Polychrome Jar by Vintage Collection - Garland's
Sale price $12,000 Regular price $20,000
Santa Clara Bison and Star Vase by Polly Rose Folwell - Garland's
Santa Clara Bison and Star Vase by Polly Rose Folwell - Garland's
Hopi Seed Jar by White Swann - Garland's
Hopi Seed Jar by White Swann - Garland's
Hopi Eagle Feather Jar by Charles Navasie - Garland's
Hopi Eagle Feather Jar by Charles Navasie - Garland's
Storyteller Pottery by Carol Pecos - Garland's
Storyteller Pottery by Carol Pecos - Garland's
Hopi Pottery Tile by Fawn Navasie - Garland's
Hopi Pottery Tile by Fawn Navasie - Garland's
Santa Clara Bowl by Tina and Leon Garcia - Garland's
Santa Clara Bowl by Tina and Leon Garcia - Garland's
Miniature Pot by Debra Dewyenie - Garland's
Miniature Pot by Debra Dewyenie - Garland's
Hopi Jar by Charles Navasie - Garland's
Hopi Jar by Charles Navasie - Garland's
Hopi Pottery Canteen by Rachel Sahmie - Garland's
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