Posted 8 years ago
PaulaKay
(1 item)
Hello,
I am trying to get information on this small pot I purchased at an estate sale. It measures approx. 3 inches tall, and approx. 3 inches across the open top. It is very light, and seems finely made. I have no other info about it. Can you help?
Paula Carlson
Hi there! I really can't tell you much about it myself except I know many of these styles are in the Native American Historical museums. Let me see if I can get someone to give you some help here! It's a nice piece of pottery.
It is from Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico. It was traditionally-made, from local clay, and paints made from local materials. The orangish spots on the white clay are fire clouds, an indication that it was fired in an outdoor bonfire, rather than in an electric kiln.
Traditional Native American pottery is never coated with a glaze. This means that it can easily be damaged by contact with water, which is probably what happened here. It's been fired, so it won't return to clay like it would if it hadn't been fired, but it has lost most of its resale value.
It probably dates from the 1930s to mid-20th century, when small pots like this were made for the tourist trade.