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the origin of horsehair pottery

updated sun 13 mar 05

 

Jancy Jaslow on sat 12 mar 05


I just read the query about bisque temp for horsehair pottery and I thought of my visit to the Phoenix, Arizona area this January to see my mother and my meeting a 'Horsehair Originator'.

My mother suggested exploring an 'Indian arts and crafts fair'.....the word used was Indian. I was concerned it might by schlocky, but it was nicely written up in the paper and had good photos in the adverts.

Some of the work was just fantastic. There was some mighty fine looking traditional jewelry, but I was cruising the pottery. I was particularly drawn to a display of horsehair pottery. The gentleman displaying it explained that it was HIS WIFE, Corrine Louis, of the Pueblo of Acoma,NM, who 'invented' horsehair pottery. She was introduced to pottery making by her grandmother and mother, and the family has a long tradition in pottery.

"Corrine and Gary first came across the idea of using horse hair on their pottery after Corrine pulled out a recently fired batch of pottery, when one of her own strands of hair fell on the pottery and scorched the pot. "
----------from their handout

Eventually they elected to let Corrine keep her hair and use horse hair(!).

Well, that was what he told me.

Jancy Jaslow

Jancy Jaslow
Manor Hill Pottery
Cincinnati, OH 45220