We’ve been looking this week at one of the defining characteristics — indeed, defining characters — of this place: its famed and ethereal light. Although we tend to think of it as a medium for photography or painting, Wings regularly harnesses its effects in his silverwork, creating pieces that pay tribute to its beauty and power.
As I noted on Tuesday, it also serves as an integral element of Taos Pueblo’s iconic pottery.
It may seem counterintuitive that an artistic medium consisting of the earth itself, clay and water, should not merely incorporate but depend upon the light to show its full beauty, but with Taos pueblo’s traditional clayware, it’s most certainly the case. It all comes down to the type of clay used, a variety found on local tribal lands whose pit is reserved to the exclusive use of Native artisans of Taos and Picuris Pueblos.
One of the features of this local clay is its mica content: warm red-gold earth of a sort especially susceptible to molding and shaping, shot through with tiny flecks of the metallic, shimmery, mirror-like mineral. It is part and parcel of the earth itself, wholly inseparable from it . . . and when placed in the sun, it catches the light and sends it back to the observer in a brilliant show of sherds, like thousands of tiny stars glimmering in an earthy red sky.
And so for today’s Friday Feature, I thought it might be fitting to see this phenomenon in action. Normally, I feature larger individual items for such posts — full-scale works at full-scale prices — but today, I wanted to show the shining range of texture and appearance available in works summoned from micaceous clay. For that, the simplest point of comparison arises in our collection of miniatures — a collection that also testifies to the broad range of styles found among our potters.
We begin with the largest of the miniatures, one that perhaps doesn’t quite meet the dictionary definition of that label, since it’s just large enough to be used for some functional purposes, but it’s nonetheless small enough to hold in the palm of one’s hand. It’s the work shown in the photo above, the last in a series of three small pots by a friend of ours, Wilson Appa.
Wilson is a VietNam veteran, and his life and work are informed by his experiences in that country. He is also a multi-talented artist; he creates everything from pottery to dreamcatchers to beadwork earrings. We’ve sold everything of his that we’ve had in inventory in recent years, save this one small classic pot. From its description in the Other Artists: Pottery gallery here on the site:
Wilson Appa (Taos Pueblo), an artist and veteran, created this miniature version of a classic hand-coiled pot from the Pueblo’s local micaceous clay. The orb-like bowl’s mouth is broad enough to permit its use for storing small items; its textured surface allows the clay’s native mica to serve as a natural accent.
Micaceous clay
$40 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Wilson creates his pottery in what is known as “vintage-style”: basic forms and classic shapes that draw their beauty from the clay itself, not dependent overmuch on a high degree of polish during the firing process, and not at all on extraneous adornment. They are small version of archetypal Taos Pueblo pottery, a form of art and functionality that goes back a millennium and more.
And of all the pottery we currently have in inventory, miniature and full-sized alike, this modest little pot is the one that most clearly demonstrates the mica clay’s tendency to refract the light like a thousand stars.
The remaining pots featured in today’s post are true miniatures — tiny simulacra of their functional full-sized counterparts. We have gathered them together in a single entry in the same gallery:
Three of Taos Pueblo’s potters create affordable miniatures on a regular basis. All are fashioned in the traditional way from the Pueblo’s iconic micaceous clay: The tiny pots, bowls, and ollas are all hand-coiled in the same manner as full-sized pieces, their only ornamentation the glimmer of the native mica, and fired to varying finishes.
The pieces above and immediately below are by Wings’s cousin, Bernadette Track:
Still available: one wedding vase (not shown; $35); five pots — three plain; two horsehair ($30 each). Wedding vase stands 3.5″ high; pots range from 1-5/8″ to 2-1/8″ high (dimensions approximate).
Wedding vase SOLD
Bernadette’s miniatures are similarly classic in style, whether in the form of small pots or wedding vases. All of her wedding vases have sold, but we still have a small collection of her miniature pots, some fired to a high sheen with virtually no coloration beyond the golden red of the clay itself, others with the beautifully smoky whorls common to this sort of clay dancing across their surfaces.
Of the true miniatures, however, my favorites are the ones featured next.
The classic bowl and fluted plate below are by Olivia Martinez:
Both still available ($30 each). Fluted plate is 1″ high by 3″ across; bowl is 1″ high by 2.25″ across (dimensions approximate).
Olivia’s work is highly skilled; she brings perfectionism in form and shape to it irrespective of the size in which she happens to be working at any given moment. These two pieces display the proportionality and uniformity of shape one expects to find in full-sized works — the classic bowl a perfect circle, the plate flared at precise intervals and angles. She has chosen to leave the plate more coarsely-textured, the gleam of the mica no more than the occasional hint. The bowl, however, is another matter, polished smooth on the exterior and glowing like the sun itself.
And the vintage-style pieces, reminiscent of functional pottery for daily use, are by Leatrice Gomez:
Olla is sold; pots at left and right still available ($25 each). Pot at left is 1.25″ high by 1.25″ across; pot at right, 1.25″ high by 1-3/8″ across (dimensions approximate).
Leatrice’s work harks back to the oldest of styles, when the people’s own clayware collections always did double duty and more, adorning tables, mantels, and ceremonial chambers simultaneously. Over the intervening centuries, it has become possible for artisans to create works dedicated only to the last two uses, art for art’s sake and for use in higher callings than mere eating and drinking. In the old days, however, the pottery may have been unadorned and eminently functional, but carried out into the sun, its seemingly magical inherent ability to capture and hold the light was clearly evident.
Taos Pueblo’s micaceous pottery is now world-renowned. The works of some artisans, like Angie Yazzie and Juanita Suazo DuBray, now reside in international museums and collections, and command top dollar for, in no small part, their ability to capture and hold the light in an earthy medium. But such full-sized works are often beyond the reach of ordinary individuals. But those potters who invest some of their time and creative energies in these tiny works bring the practice of collecting within reach for nearly anyone: small pieces that will find a comfortable place in the smallest room or studio apartment, at modest prices not much more than a few mornings’ worth of coffeehouse java. By way of these tiny works, it’s now possible for nearly anyone, anywhere, to hold a bit of Taos Pueblo’s sacred earth, and sherds of its otherworldly light, in the palm of one’s hand.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owners.
