Speaking of throwbacks . . . .
Here’s something that evokes not merely the old, but the positively ancient. It’s a piece that honors the old ways in multiple senses.
You may already be familiar with Taos Pueblo’s famed micaceous pottery. It’s the art form most associated with the Pueblo, and both men and women are potters. It’s a medium that was invented jointly long ago by potters of Taos Pueblo and its “sister,” Picuris Pueblo (whose members split off from Red Willow centuries ago; their Pueblo located an hour or so southeast of here).
Unlike much other Native pottery, it tends to be relatively spare: Some artisans incise patterns into or create shapes in relief on the surface, and some will occasionally add a nugget of turquoise or other subtle accent, but most adornment is rare. I have yet to see a painted micaceous pot.
Why? It would be superfluous. When the very clay itself is shot through with millions upon millions of tiny flecks of mica that shine in the sunlight like spun gold, why would anyone want to cover that up?
The clay is a local clay, found in this area. There is, in fact, a dedicated pit on tribal lands that is reserved for use only by Taos and Picuris Pueblo potters. The mica is not added; it occurs naturally right in the clay itself. Depending on how the clay is fired, it may show off the mica throughout, as in the piece shown above; it may dull the metallic glints, turning the clay a deeper red; or it may even alter the color entirely, creating what is known as “blackware”:
Both the large blackware pot shown immediately above and the much smaller piece at the top are by the same potter, Angie Yazzie. Before I talk specifically about her and her technique, here’s another view of the Four Sacred Directions pot in the top image, along with its description from the Other Artists: Pottery Gallery here on the site:
Internationally renowned master potter Angie Yazzie (Taos Pueblo/Diné) evokes a more ancient time with this almost paper-thin bowl: A classic kiva steps pattern melds with a much older Four Sacred Directions design. Approximate dimensions: 4″ high X 8.25″ across at widest point.
Micaceous clay
$275 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Requires special handling; extra shipping and handling charges apply
Now, I should point out that this is a special price. This pot retails for $575, but it needs to find its permanent home, so we’ve put it on sale. For Angie’s work, $275 is an absolute steal.
Angie Yazzie (Taos Pueblo/Diné) is perhaps the best known of all of Taos Pueblo’s contemporary potters. She is truly a master, and her work appears in exhibitions, galleries, and collections all over the world. She specializes in pots of substantial size that are, in pottery terms, “paper-thin”: smooth, thin, delicate work, utterly even and balanced.
And she does it all by hand.
No wheel-thrown pots here; everything she does is hand-coiled, hand-shaped in the old way, and she creates those indescribably smooth and even finishes all by hand.
The blackware pot, which sold a few years ago, was huge — a good 18 inches to two feet across at the widest point. Customers found it impossible to believe that it was made of the exact same clay as the other pots, but indeed it was. If you look at the top photo, you can see some very slight differences in shading, smoky black cloud effects drifting gently across the surface of one side of the pot. It’s a phenomenon that occurs naturally during the firing process, depending on what is used to cover the pot, and how tightly, and the effects are considered part of the work’s inherent beauty and uniqueness.
Some potters fire their work in indoor kilns; others use outdoor kilns or pits. Angie once told me that she fires hers outdoors; whether that remains true today I don’t know, but I suspect it does. The finishes are created by the “cover,” and they vary widely by artisan. Perhaps the most common cover today, because it’s easily accessible, is dried cow dung or horse dung. In the past, horse dung was commonly used, and in the old days, buffalo dung. When dry, it’s all fairly lightweight and provides a good solid cover without adding to much pressure to the pot beneath it. it can also be spread loosely, to allow for more air. Generally speaking (and depending on the type of clay used), the tighter the cover, and the longer it’s fired, the darker and shinier the surface of the pot will be: Pack it tightly, and leave it in for a moderate period of time, and you get a slick surface that positively glows. Fire it for a long period of time, and the red clay turns black, like the pot in the middle photo. Angie varies her firing methods to achieve particular effects, but she’s told me that she uses a different cover: Tree bark. It’s a much lighter weight than dried animal dung, and it can be packed as tightly or loosely as needed to achieve the desired surface color without risking the integrity of her thin-walled pots and plates.
Now, to this pot specifically, and our “Throwback Thursday” theme:
One of the popular motifs in Pueblo pottery, particularly the micaceous variety, is one known as “Kiva Steps.” It’s the appearance of descending steps, as you see at each ordinal point of the pot above, evoking the imagery of the steps descending into the People’s most sacred space. It’s an ancient pattern, an ancient image, and an ancient thing-in-itself. It’s also one that, multiplied in various ways, lends itself to other imagery and symbolism, all of which an be connected back to the blessings of Spirit.
But there’s another, yet older Pueblo pottery pattern, and it’s one that Angie revived in her work some half-dozen years or so ago. It’s a “Four Sacred Directions” pattern, with the tops of the “steps” placed at the pot’s cardinal points, to represent North, East, South, and West. Standing alone, it’s a powerful image evoking ancient sacred paths. Combined with the more contemporary, yet also still old, image of the steps leading from the Four Directions down into the sacred space, and it melds indigenous patterns and paths, ancient and modern, into one glowing vortex, one shining hoop.
And that’s history that should speak to anybody.
~ Aji
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