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.
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.
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.
Amazingly beautiful! Hard to believe these were done by free hand.
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I know. And if you look these up online, you will see how much MORE complex they can be. It’s amazing.
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Beautiful pottery, as is all the Acoma pottery and that from other mesas!
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I have some really glorious carved Navajo pottery, too. I thought this would photograph better.
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Yes, probably so. Are you familiar with the book, “Maria the Potter of San Ildefonso”? It describes in detail the processes used for making the pottery on the mesas (probably written ca. 1955).
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No, but I will look for it.
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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.
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Some of them are quite dizzying. I had room for these two small pots. I didn’t have any place to put the big ones. I have a LOT of pottery.
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I know that feeling!! I used to buy lots of glass and ceramics, but ran out of places to put them.
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I do not have a piece of wall, table, or floor to hang or hold ANYTHING. I’m always amused at people who are still accumulating. Everyone I know is giving everything away!
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I can give lots of stuff away — but not art. Not yet anyway!
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No, not art. But I worry about who will care for it when I’m gone.
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I suspect I will have had to sell all mine by the end of my life. Or build a shelter out of the bigger canvases and burn the frames and paper to keep warm 😕
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Wonderful work and true artists
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Amazing that they work free-handed, too.
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They are lovely, Marilyn, I can see why you wanted more of them.
Leslie
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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.
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and if you’re not careful it’s bound to happen…
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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.
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I hera you….
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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!
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Go look online. Some of the work they do is astonishing. All well-made native pottery (Navajo, Pueblo, Acoma, etc.) is incredibly detailed, but the designs on these are something else. Try to buy from the sellers rather than a gallery. The galleries take all the money and the artists wind up with nothing.
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Thanks for info!
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