ACOMA POTTERY

Pottery is truly of the Earth. Its strength and utility reflect the unique skill of those who shape the clay. Although the techniques used by ancient southwestern potters was developed in much the same way all over, the early craftspeople created local variations in the form, style and function that may have come to signify the individuality of each group.

Acoma pottery is distinctive in both its use of natural earth colors and its extremely thin walled construction. The creation of a fine Acoma pot involves many intricate steps, each one critical to the final product.

First, the raw clay is soaked, softened, and carefully kneaded to remove any impurities. Next, old potsherds which have been washed and ground to metate (me-tah'tay), are added as temper to give body to the clay and make it lighter.

After the mixture has been kneaded to make it smooth, a ball is formed and a depression made in it which is widened to form the base of the pot. Additional clay is rolled into thick flat coils which are added one on top of the other and pressed together to form the vessel walls. The walls are then scraped thin, shaped and smoothed with the aid of dried gourd pieces and the pot is left to dry.

Lumps of fine white clay are then soaked in water and worked to form a smooth paste. This paste is applied to the vessel walls with a cotton cloth. A polishing stone is used to rub the surface of the pot to distribute the pigment evenly, enhancing the shine.

Minerals gathered locally are used for the pigmentation. The potter then applies the design with a brush made from the spine of the yucca plant which is broken to the desired length an chewed to make it pliable.

On a windless, clear day, the firing takes place.  The pottery is placed upside down on a supporting structure. Cow dung, bark, sticks or coal are piled over both the pots and the the support and a highly oxidized fire with drafts flowing over the vessel converts the pigments to oxides. This final process takes an hour or two.

The traditional Acoma pottery colors are red, which symbolize the sun, white, the earth, and black for the mountains.

Pueblo pots have been pincipally household or ceremonial vessels.  However, today, the craft flourishes with an ever growing, highly appreciative number of collectors from all over the world.