Laguna Pueblo Hand Coiled Pottery

by Max Early

Max Early was born in 1963 into the Laguna Pueblo. His mother is of the Turkey Clan and his father is of the Bear Clan. Max married into the Cochiti Pueblo and has 3 children. His interest in tradition began when he was a teenager living with his grandparents. Max was never encouraged to actually work with clay since his grandmother, Clara Acoya Encino, emphasized that pottery making was a woman’s job. It was, however, acceptable for Max to assist with painting his grandmother’s pots. He began doing this when she developed arthritis and could no longer paint. He eventually moved away to attend college and his interest in pottery lay dormant for nearly 10 years.

He began painting ceramic ware as a hobby, but couldn’t feel any life in the commercial pieces. He decided to venture out on his own. He knew where to gather raw materials and set out, with determination, to make a large olla. Once complete, Max called on a fellow potter, Gladys Paquin, and asked her teach him how to fire pottery. His first olla survived the firing and Max took the success as a sign that he was destined to become an artisan.

With only a handful of traditional potters existing in the Laguna Pueblo, Max knew what his obligation to his Pueblo would be. Max says that he first learned to make drums and moccasins. However, drum and moccasin makers were a dime a dozen. His decision to change over to traditional pottery came from his desire to help save the art of pottery making within his pueblo from extinction. Max is encouraging his children to continue the pottery making tradition. Max’s goal to become a mentor for his people will fulfill his ambition to keep the tradition alive and endure for future generations to come.

This is an exceptional piece from Max with a lovely scalloped rim, great shape and clean paint work. It is signed Max Early, Laguna.

8" Tall, 10 3/4" Wide

Suggested Retail $2400.00 / Your Price: $1850.00

Backed by Our 30 Day Money Back Guarantee!!

5acomapottery7

Return to Acoma Main Page

Laguna Pueblo Hand Coiled Pottery

by Andrew Padilla

Andrew Padilla is a full blooded Native American Indian. He was born in 1956. He is half Laguna and half Santa Clara. He was inspired to learn the art of working with clay from his grandmother, Reycita Padilla. She was from the Santa Clara Pueblo and began teaching Andrew all the fundamentals of pottery making at the age of 10. Reycita taught him how to hand coil black on black traditional Santa Clara pottery. He continued making the Santa Clara pottery until 1982. When he moved to the Laguna Pueblo, he experimented with the white Laguna clay. He learned this process from his mother, Gladys Paquin.

Gladys showed Andrew which mesa provided the best clay so he would only use the finest natural pigments to make his pottery. She also taught him all of her special techniques of working with clay. The clay is gathered in the early spring and the beginning of the fall. He cleans, mixes, hand coils, shapes, and fires his pottery the traditional way, outdoors. He hand coils many different shapes and sizes of pottery. He enjoys making the white melon vessels and on occasion accents a kiva step lid as the crown. Andrew has combined his Santa Clara and Laguna cultures to create this elegant contemporary style of art which he is credited with.

He signs his pottery as: Andrew Padilla, Laguna, N.M.

7 5/8" Tall, 9 1/8" Wide

Suggested Retail $1500.00 / Your Price: $1195.00

Backed by Our 30 Day Money Back Guarantee!!

6acomapottery5

Return to Acoma Main Page

Acoma Pueblo Hand Coiled Pottery

by Charmae Shields Natsaway

Charmae Shields-Natseway is a full blooded Native American Indian and is a member of the Yellow Corn Clan from the Acoma Pueblo. She was born in 1958 and has been working with clay art since 1977. She learned the art of working with clay from Dolores Sanchez, her grandmother, and Ethel Shields, her mother. They taught her all the fundamentals of constructing pottery using the ancient traditional method of hand coiling and pinching that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Charmae is noted for her superb quality of lidded pottery cylinders, boxes, and pyramids. She gathers her natural clays and slips from within the Acoma Pueblo. She breaks the clumps of clay down to a fine powder form and them mixes it with water and other natural pigments to a fine medium. Then, she begins to hand coil her vessels. When the raw formed vessels are dried she sands off the excess to give her vessels a smooth finish. She hand boils all her colors from natural plants and vegetation and begins to hand paint her designs. She signs her pottery as: Charmae Shields Natseway, Acoma, N.M., followed by a corn stalk to denote her family origin.

6 1/8" Tall, 2 3/4" Wide

Suggested Retail $999.00 / Your Price: $798.00

Backed by Our 30 Day Money Back Guarantee!!

6acomapottery13

Return to Acoma Main Page

Hopi Hand Coiled Pottery

by Preston Duywenie

Preston Duywenie is a Hopi, born on the reservation, raised in Scottsdale, AZ, and currently living at Santa Clara Pueblo. He is married to Debra Trujillo Duywenie who makes fine sgrafitto pottery. Preston attended the IAIA school in Santa Fe where he studied virtually all of the crafts. He is a painter, sculptor, jeweler and potter. It is as a potter and jeweler that he became most well known and although presently he is only potting, he frequently uses his jewelry skills by incorporating silver ingots into his pottery. His strikingly original and unique pieces have won many awards including "Best of Show" at the prestigious Heard Museum Show in 1996. At the same show in 1997, he again won "Best in Pottery" -- with a different group of judges. At the 1997 Santa Fe Indian Market, Preston won two First places as well as a "Challenge Award". He is one of the finest potters working in any pueblo today. Marked with Preston's hallmark of a mother with child. Includes pottery stand shown.

3" Tall, 6 1/2" Wide

Suggested Retail $1598.00 / Your Price: $1250.00

Backed by Our 30 Day Money Back Guarantee!!

hopipottery15

Return to Hopi Pottery Main Page