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Native American Art Navajo pottery history - page 6 of 6

The base is made by pressing the sides of one coil closely together, smoothing inside and out to make a smooth base or spiral of uniform thickness. The vertical walls of the pot are added one coil at a time, carefully joining each coil to the one below it by smoothing with the thumb. Coils should become invisible as a smooth and uniform pot with a pleasing shape forms. Some potters leave the coil design visible on the outside of their pot as a design element; however, the inside of the pot is smooth and the coils are securely joined.

A slab pot, is fashioned with a rolling pin and two flat sticks 3/8 to 1/2 inches in thickness, such as rulers or yardsticks. The sticks are placed apart the width of the rolling pin and clay is rolled between the sticks. The sticks determine the thickness of the clay slabs.

Slab construction is useful for making box shapes, or a circular base. From the slabs the base of the pot is cut. The base and sides are joined with a process of scoring, or scratched lines into the edges to be joined. Very wet clay is used, smearing the clay into the scored surface and then edges are pressed together securely. This wet clay is called slip. The extra slip is smoothed away, making sure pieces are securely joined.

After shaping, pots are put aside to dry. When the clay is leather hard, designs can be added to the surface. When the pot is thoroughly dry or no longer feels cold, it is called greenware, and is ready to fire.

Today Navajo pots are usually fired outdoors, one pot at a time in an open pit, with juniper wood both under and over the pot. The fires are allowed to burn hard for several hours. The pitch for coating the pots is gathered by children or families from piñon trees in an arduous process. Of course, everything about this process is arduous: digging the clay, grinding it to powder, coiling and pinching the clay into shape, gathering wood for the fire, tending the fire, and applying the hot liquid sap to the finished pot.

The Navajo tradition of making illustrative symbolic sand paintings for healing ceremonies has given inspiration to some pottery decorations, although it is against traditional rules to use them. It is difficult for Indians to use sacred symbols for design; feelings of reverence and ancestral respect impose strong limitations. Still, tribal background is inevitably an important decorative resource. The Yeibichai, representing the mythical Holy People, are particularly prominent subjects in Navajo art.

Today, most Navajo potters live in the Shonto-Cow Springs area of Arizona, where there is still a good clay source. Many of the potters in this and other areas are related directly, by marriage, or by clan. Traditional ways are handed down or handed sideways, still the best methods of passing on customs. Some of the women potters have actually conducted classes for other Navajo women. The revival of interest, spurred by the success of some Navajo potters, has gradually increased pottery production both for the market and for ceremonials.

Native American art Navajo pottery history - page 1

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