American Pottery

1.  American pottery made by the "paddle and anvil" method. The potter's wheel was unknown in the Americas.

2.  How pottery works.

   1.  The heat causes clay to become insoluble because of molecular changes (vitrification).  Very durable.

   2. No major kilns found from ancient times.

   3. Spanish recorded pit firing.

   4. Firing causes color changes through a process called oxidation reduction. As the ceramic heats, oxygen combines with iron in clay to form (reddish brown) iron oxide on the surface of the clay. As the oxygen is burned by the fire and disappears the surface carbonizes, turning black, gray, or dark brown.

   5. slab molding with coils, paddle and anvil.

   6. Burnishing instead of glazing.

   7. Temper added to reduce shrinkage.

   8. Vegetable resin added to provide sheen.

   9. Clay is responsive to culture change.

4. How to make an olla - the division of labor

        A. Preparation   

                1.  By an individual or group, male and/or female.

                        a.  get permission to collect clay.

                        b.  collect clay and leave an offering.

                        c.  haul the clay home.

                        d.  dry clay, bone dry.

                        e.  grind clay as finely as baby powder.

                        f.  add finely ground temper.

                        g.  add liquid and hydrate thoroughly.

                        h.  wedge clay.

        B.  Create the base.

                1.  Usually done by an individual.  Not a group process.

                        a. form a slab.

                        b.  mold slab to shape.

                        c.  let dry slightly and unmold.

        C.  Create the walls.

                1.  This is done by the individual artist.

                        a.  roll coils and pinch onto base.

                        b.  add coils to desired height.

                        c. use paddle and anvil to compact and shape walls.

        D.  Surface treatment.

                1.  Another member of the family might take on this task.

                        a.  paint with slip made of finely ground clay and minerals if desired.

                        b.  burnish the surface before it is bone dry.

                        e.  engrave into the slightly moist clay.

        E.  Dry slowly until bone dry.

        F.  Fire employing oxidation reduction techniques to color surface.

        G.  Further surface treatment.

                1.  Coat while hot with pine pitch for lustrous surface.