Horse Hair Pottery

[rybert]

I have no idea.

[rybert]

Thank you all for your insight!

[tecpatl]

Originally Posted by Towanda

Am I right about this?

Isn't all the horsehair pottery Navajo?

I have several pieces, all of it Navajo. Which made me think the Pueblo Indians weren't doing horsehair.

The Navajo don't really have a significant pottery tradition, so a number of Navajo do the horsehair on greenware thing in additon to the painted and carved or scratched stuff and other things as well. Some folks at Acoma do it too. The first place I ever saw it was at Acoma some years ago. It's a pretty recent thing compared to most other Indian pottery styles and traditions. Good looking, though!

[tecpatl]

Kind of like Navajos producing tons of Kachinas. It's not part of their tradition in the least, but they know what sells. All well and good as long as the origin is disclosed to the buyer.

[rybert]

Where did Kachinas originate?

[tecpatl]

Kachinas or Katsinas are largely a Hopi thing,though the Zuni have a Katsina tradition as well and both Hopi and Zuni artists make the figures or "dolls" that one sees for sale and in museums.
The dolls were originally a figure to instruct children, but have taken on a life of their own as art collectors have created a market for pieces made as art or sculpture. The Hopi, IMO, have taken this art to it's highest form, though there are fine examples made by Zuni carvers as well. Old ones can be extremely valuable, and all authentic pieces are very collectible.
The Navajo have no Katsina tradition.....the figures they make are just wood figures which might imitate religious figures from the Hopi or Zuni world, but they have no place in traditional Navajo culture, except as a way to make a living.
link to some Hopi info: Native American Indian Hopi Kachina Doll History

[_yb]

Some of the pottery I like the best comes from the Santa Clara, Zia and Jemez pueblos.

Kind you give us a little background on those tecpatl?

[tecpatl]

There's a small museum at Zia, which often displays a nice bunch of older pots and ancient artifacts. There are a lot of pottery artists there, and the Zia bird with two tails seems to be a favorite theme, though a lot of traditional motifs are used. Lots of red and black on white backgrounds, some flowers, etc. Christmastime is a good time to visit because there are Pueblo dances on or just after the holiday.
Santa Clara is pottery heaven, expecially if you like the shiny black pots that made the it famous and have some dough to spend. One of my first serious pieces of pottery was from there...a Margaret Tafoya bear paw print pot I bought at auction in Chicago. The master of the highly detailed miniature pot, Joseph Lonewolf, is from S C and his pieces stand alone in Native American pottery...unique, except for those who copy or follow his lead. Amazing. I bought a red Nancy Youngblood pot a few years ago, and she's one of the greatest younger potters with her own distinct style...a swirling ridge design that is simple, almost contemporary style, and hypnotizing. There are more great potters there than I could mention. There are interesting but modest cliff dwelling nearby if you visit. Puhyay, I think.
It's pretty hard, in my experience, to visit Jemez...they're pretty private...except on the occasional feast day or getting "smuggled in" by a craftsperson you're buying from. A lot of artists have little shops and galleries near the road in or at the vistors center. If you get a chance to go to the old village, do it..it's in a pretty cool canyon. They're well organized there, so you can see a lot by visiting or contacting the visitors center to see what's up. They do a show near the visitors center in early December that has a lot of great pottery and other things. There is also a website...jemezpueblo.org
My favorite Pueblo to visit will probably always be Acoma...Sky City...due to it's spectacular location. I always tell people to skip the casino...go to the Pueblo. Its a remarkable place, and I think they're almost thru restoring the ancient church. You can stand on that mesa, look all arond the valley, and you could be back 400 years...or more. really cool.
I probably do more business at Santo Domingo than anywhere else, but there's no visitors center and few amenities outside of some small artists shops around the plaza as you go in. They're famous for shell and stone lapidary work...heishi, inlaid and overlaid shells, necklaces and earrings, etc. without a lot of silverwork. There is pottery there too. Mostly geometric designs, a lot taken from prehistoric pieces.
If you're wandering the Rio Grande, DO visit pueblos. Some might be a little, um, underwhelming, but there's interesting art in almost all of them. Just be polite and respectful of customs...a little research in advance is a good idea...because it's not a theme park, it's peoples real lives and cultures. Some are a lot more photogenic (or even permit photos) than others. I'm amazed at how many long time NM residents have never visited...but there's always a first time. A visitor could build a whole trip around covering the various places. Bring money! Buy Art! Have fun!
This is a good place to start: New Mexico Tourism | Native America | Pueblos, Tribes and Nations Acoma Pueblo