A PHOTO A WEEK CHALLENGE – DETAILED ACOMA SEED POTS – Marilyn Armstrong

Acoma Pueblo Pottery

The pottery of Acoma is strongly recognized for fluted rims, thin walls and geometric design. Potters of the pueblo implement similar techniques found in the local region, from collecting of the clay material from limited sources, forming the vessel for a specific use, decorated with hand-painted patterns and designs, to firing the pot at high temperature.

Traditional Acoma pottery is made using a slate-like clay found within the hills surrounding the Pueblo. When fired using traditional methods, this clay allows the potters to form very thin walls, a common and sought after characteristic of Acoma pottery.

Smaller seed pot

I bought these two seed pots years ago. I would have loved to own more of this pottery, but it is — not surprisingly — expensive and fragile. These designs are painted freehand. Again, no surprise, these artists often suffer from serious eye-strain.

Larger seed pot

Amazingly beautiful, incredibly detailed work … and these are not by any means the most detailed work. There is much finer work available. These were what I could afford.

Two Acoma seed pots



Categories: #Photography, Photo A Week Challenge

Tags: , , ,

23 replies

  1. So beautiful. And the pottery is stunning as well. 😉 Beautiful work, Marilyn. I love everything about this post. Now I must save my pennies and get some Acoma pottery for me. 🙂 Thanks for joining the challenge!

    Like

  2. They are lovely, Marilyn, I can see why you wanted more of them.
    Leslie

    Like

    • I wanted one larger one, but there really isn’t anywhere to show it off safely and I won’t put anything breakable where the dogs can get at it. They don’t understand pottery.

      Liked by 1 person

      • and if you’re not careful it’s bound to happen…

        Like

        • When we had cats, everything got broken. It is the primary reason we no longer have cats. They jump. And they knock things off shelves and mantels. And they claw everything. I love them, I enjoy their company. But they have wrecked the house and I don’t feel like having it wrecked again. So … no cats. Too much breakable stuff. At least I can put things high enough so the dogs won’t get to it, but cats? They leap for the highest places and I just can’t deal with the breakage.

          Liked by 1 person

  3. Wonderful work and true artists

    Like

  4. They are very beautiful. I did look online, and while I marvel at the craftsmanship of the more intricate designs, I actually prefer the relative simplicity of yours.

    Like

  5. Beautiful pottery, as is all the Acoma pottery and that from other mesas!

    Like

  6. Amazingly beautiful! Hard to believe these were done by free hand.

    Like