Thursday, November 10, 2022

How Hopi people hand built pots...

       Just below is the original page with illustrated instructions for hand built Hopi pots. There is also a great deal of text included in this page so I have numbered a copy at the bottom and recorded the text so that it may be translated for those visitors who do not read English. 

       The text for the same illustrated process with numbers identifying each description beneath the pictures...

Translation of Text:

  1. A basket or a bowl may be used for forming clay coil pottery over it.
  2. The Hopis also use tin basins for starting their pottery forms.
  3. The Indian potter considers it taboo to use the index finger in pottery shaping.
  4. A gourd or shell fragment for surface scraping and a basket or bowl for easy turning of work.
  5. The Spanish brought to the Mexican Indian, glazes, and stamping of motifs with wood blocks.
  6. A smooth round stone burnishes the clay surfaces just before it is dry.
  7. A helpful turn table may be made with little work.
  8. Indian women do all the pottery. 
  9. Indian men do all their embroidery.
  10. When pottery is dry it can be burned in the open by placing can wedges between the pottery, covering the entire group with paper, excelsior and wood for firing.
  11. Pottery pigments ordinary mineral oxide colors such as are used for coloring cement, mixed with water and clay will fire if painted on the pottery. Burnt Umber, Venetian Red, Yellow Ochre, Burnt Sienna, Indian Red may be used.
  12. Step on cans to make wedges.
  13. Discarded iron kettles with covers or sheet metal for covers make containers for firing pottery in the open. Wood and other fuel is piled over and around kettles.

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