Micaceous Pottery

Micaceous Clay Pottery

Featuring work by Taos Pueblo/Southern Ute master potter Karen Cordova; Myrtle Cata of San Felipe and San Juan Pueblos; Marcella and Emma Yepa of Jemez Pueblo; Phogeh Povi of San Juan Pueblo; Jennifer Tse-Pe of San Ildefonso Pueblo; Glen Gomes of Taos and Pojoaque Pueblos; Allen Lasiloo of Zuni Pueblo; George Gonzales of Taos Pueblo, and Ignacia Duran of Tesuque Pueblo.

We believe that micaceous pottery offers the greatest potential for increased popularity and collecting by those who appreciate Native American pottery. It's 'discovery' is only a matter of time. To learn more about the wonderful work being done by potters working with micaceous clay read "All That Glitters" by Duane Anderson or contact the Indian Arts Research Center. To read an excerpt from Duane Anderson's book, click here.

Karen Cordova has been a potter for over 20 years. She specializes in micaceous pottery which is traditionally made, hand coiled and pit fired.

Karen’s familial roots run deep in Taos county where family members have farmed for generations. She is of Taos Pueblo, southern Ute and Spanish decent. Karen has been awarded the title of New Mexico Arts Master Potter and has participated in the Master Apprentice Project aimed at preserving New Mexico traditional arts.

The twisted handle bean pot above measures 6.5 inches tall by 9.5 inches wide - a beautiful piece. Your price $625 ~ Item #MIC201 Click here to see an enlarged image.

Karen has had her work published in many publications including Southwest Art Magazine, The Taos News, the Sun Journal, Taos Collectors Guide and Taos Magazine. Over the years Karen has been 12 First and Second place awards at the Picuris Arts and Crafts Fair.

The flat handle bean pot at right measures 10 inches tall by 10 inches wide. Your price $850 ~ Item MIC202. Click here to see an enlarged image.

Karen’s pots are hand coiled, traditionally pit fired, and built from clay gathered from historic clay pits where native peoples have gathered clays for hundreds of years. This style of pottery is indigenous to Taos and Picuris Pueblos. The clay is gathered in the summertime and the naturally present mica in the clay gives the pottery its beautiful glimmer.

The large lidded pot at left was the first pot we ever saw by Karen and ultimately the one that made us want to offer her work to our collectors. This is a sensuous, beautiful pot with a twisted handle lid and smoke clouds on the bottom from having been pit fired in the traditional way. This is a superior piece of micaceous pottery for the superior collection (museum quality) created by a certified micaceous clay master potter. It measures 12.5 inches tall by 9.5 inches wide. Your price $1250 ~ Item #MIC207. Click here to see an enlargement. SALE PRICE ~ $1000

The flat handle micaceous wedding vase at left measures 9 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide. Your price $425 ~ Item #WV360

It can take two weeks to three months for each piece to be completed. The clay, in its natural environment, is dry like and dirt, but the experienced clay gatherer knows it on sight. The clay is soaked and strained before it can be worked. It is then coiled into shape. While it is drying designs may be etched into the clay. The pottery is then left in a dark room to slowly dry before firing.

Pots are fired in an open pit where they are placed on a grate. Then dry bark is built into a teepee formation around the pots and it is ignited from beneath. After two hours of being in the fire the pots are left to sit for another hour before the process is completed and the pottery is finished.

Pueblo Pottery Maine is honored to present the work of this extraordinary master potter. Her work would be a valuable asset to any collection.

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Alan Lasiloo is from Zuni Pueblo and has been an active potter since 1985 working with polychrome jars, ollas and bowls and occasionally micaceous storytellers. He learned to make his pottery at the Institute of American Indian Arts in santa Fe, New Mexico.

Alan's work is included in Gregory Schaaf's "Southern Pueblo Pottery 2000 Artist Biographies"; Berger and Schiffer's "Pueblo and Navajo Contemporary Pottery". His work is quickly increasing in its popularity as he uses as number of different materials (such as white and micaceous clay) and contemporary styling to create new pieces. This is a black onmicaceous pot measuring 7.5 inches tall by 9 inches wide. Your price $225 ~ Item #MIC327. Click here to see an enlargement.

The pot at right is nothing short of grand! This is a very difficult shape to work with and few potters even attempt it because the soft clay pot has a natural tendency to shift and settle towards one side or the other. It strongly resembles Acoma- Laguna water storage jars historically traced to the 17th and 18th century lnown as the Hawikuh Polychrome period. Moreinformation on this period and pottery type can be found in "Acoma & Laguna Pottery" by Rick Dillingham. This pot measures 11.5 inches tall by 11.5 inches wide and is of red tone micaceous clay with black and red graphics. It is not a perfectly shaped piece but only when scrutinized is it noticeable. The importance of this piece is that this incredibly labor intensive shape was undertaken and it turned out as a fine historical representation. Your price $825 ~ Item #MIC331. To see an enlargement, please click here.

At left, bottom, is a fine and simple micaceous pot with excellent shape and graphics measuring 4.5 inches high by 4.75 inches wide. Your price $130 ~ Item #MIC330.

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