More Historic Pueblo Pottery

Less common but equally important to the Pueblo pottery making traditions are the Pueblos of Nambe, Taos, Picuris, San Juan, and the southern Arizona tribes of Maricopa, Mojave and Yuma. The northern New Mexico pueblos of Taos, Picuris, and Nambe are know for their unique micaceous wares that are made with a clay rich in mica; it fires to a warm orange tone and the mica causes a glittery appearance. At the pueblo of San Juan they produce a red on tan pottery that when smudged during the firing process produces a distinct two toned black ware. In the 1940’s Tomasita Montoya along with others began a revival of pottery making at San Juan and in the process innovated polychrome styles, incised micaceous wares, and carved wares.