Rattle 65; Fall, 2019

The beautiful polished black and polychrome pottery of Santa Clara Pueblo is rivaled in design and execution only by that of its neighbor, San Ildefonso, among the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico. In recent years it has been sought by growing numbers of collectors and investor.

Santa Clara Pottery Today combines extensive historical research with the interviews granted by three Santa Clara potters. During the interviews, the author recorded and photographed each step—from clay pit to market—in the making of contemporary Santa Clara pottery. Collecting and preparing the clay, making slips and paints, modeling various kinds of vessels, sanding, smoothing, slipping, polishing, decorating, firing—all are described and illustrated so thoroughly that the reader can experiment with the Santa Clara techniques himself if he wishes.

Drawing on a variety of published and unpublished sources, the author also provides background on the evolution of Santa Clara pottery and identifies changes that have occurred in materials and techniques.

Betty LeFree