The Santa Fe line railroad was built in New Mexico with a stop at nearby Laguna pueblo in 1880, bringing the tourist market with it. Potters downsized the fourteen- and sixteen-inch storage jars made for everyday life to create smaller pieces like this one which is 3 ½” high. These were small enough to fit into suitcases and perfect souvenirs of the West. Acoma pottery was popular due to the distinctive shape of the ollas and the intricate designs. By 1955, ollas were being made purely for the tourist market because modern, store-bought vessels for storage jars were used by the Acoma themselves. Unfortunately, pottery made with clay impurities arose during that time, resulting in spalling (impurities in the clay that would pop and create pits during firing).  Even though it lowered the overall quality, many of the pots were sold anyway.  But, some Acoma potters, as they do today, ground up their spalled pieces to create temper instead of selling them.

Rebecca Lucario was raised in the Yellow Corn Clan in the old Pueblo village known as Sky City . She learned the art of pottery making from her grandmother. She also gathered and studied different types of clay found in and around Acoma Pueblo with her sister. As a result her interest in pottery evolved from hobby to career. Originally she made traditional items such as this geometric-patterned bowl, but later expanded her technique to Mimbres Revival-style pottery. Now she is known for her animal and insect pictorials and beautiful “eyedazzler” patterns.

Tohono Chul ’s piece was purchased in 1969 by Agnes T. and Don L. Smith. Although it was acquired during the period when Acoma pottery was made with clay impurities, it features thin walls and a finely-painted design. The brown and black design reveals a semicircular/stepped and fine line hatching pattern repeated in fourths. Inside the pot is coated with white slip.

Agnes T. and Don L. Smith were avid collectors of Native American art. Don was born in Waterloo , Iowa and was educated at the University of Michigan . Agnes was born in Belgium . During World War II, Don met Agnes, while he was a soldier and she was a nurse. They were married in 1949 in Belgium and traveled the world before settling in Tucson when Don got a teaching job at the University of Arizona . He later worked in real estate. Both Don and Agnes were interested in Native American cultures, and often attended Pow Wows and visited Native American craftsmen in the Southwest and Mexico . The Smiths bequeathed their collection of Native American artwork to the Park at the time of their deaths.

If you are interested in Acoma pottery and the effect of the railroad on Native American art, check out Made for Trade in the Park’s Wells Fargo Foyer Gallery.

Hayes, Allan and Blom, John. Southwestern Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni. Flagstaff : Northland Publishing, 1996.

Lamb, Susan. A Guide to Pueblo Pottery. Tucson : Southwest Parks and Monuments Association, 1996.

Peterson, Susan. Pottery by American Indian Women. New York : Abbeville Press, 1997.

Schaaf, Gregory. “Art from Earth: Four Master Potters.” Native Peoples Magazine, vol. XVII, January/February 2004: 29-34.