The surface is covered more carefully and more slowly, the areas worked
upon often overlapping considerably. A cloth, sometimes a part of the
potter’s apron, is now between the left hand and the vessel in order to
protect the smooth surface. A considerable pressure is exerted. Some
women use a short, very quick stroke; others a somewhat longer, slower
stroke, hence taking more time for the work. In this way the surface is
covered several times. Finally the routine treatment is dropped, and
finishing touches are given by polishing small areas here and there
which do not show the required amount of lustre. The strokes used at the
end are usually slightly longer than the previous ones. Finally, after
the stone has been laid aside, the surface is wiped once with a clean
cloth before the vessel is set aside; it is usually placed upon a mat or
cloth in order that the base may not be scratched by contact with the
earthen floor. When the polishing of several vessels has been completed,
they are gathered in a corner of a room on a mat or rug, and covered
with a cloth to keep the flies and dust away, for it is said that
fly-specks leave a black mark upon the burned vessel.
In the case of large ollas one half of the vessel is doubtless coated
with slip and polished before the other half is slipped. This is the
process employed in polishing large ollas slipped with dark-red (see p.
63). No opportunity presented itself to see a large polished olla being
made.
In polishing the interior of a shallow bowl, the vessel is held in its
normal position, tilted slightly to the right, and resting upon the
right knee and the palm of the left hand, which in turn, rests upon the
left knee. The polishing is done from the lip to the centre of the
vessel. As the work advances, the bowl is turned counterclockwise.
The degree of polish obtained by different potters varies considerably,
and yet in even the very finest examples of polishing the marks left by
the stone may be faintly seen in certain lights in the form of
exceedingly low ridges, generally running roughly parallel to the rim
and too low to be felt with the fingers. The surface has a lustre almost
equal to that of burnished metal. In pieces which are not as well
polished, the ridges are higher and may be felt with the fingers; indeed
they are often prominent enough to make the lustre uneven. Maria
Martinez, who does the best polishing, is also the swiftest worker in
the village. From the moment the vessel is picked up to apply the slip
until the completion of the polishing, it is not laid down for an
instant. Her strokes are quicker than those of the other potters; she
covers the surface in much less time and therefore polishes a given area
more often before the slip dries. Continued polishing tires the wrist
and hand very quickly and is apt to produce cramps. Other potters are
inclined to rest for a few minutes from time to time, especially after
the application of the slip and again after the lard has been put on.
One woman complained of the humid weather, because it did not allow the
slip to dry quickly enough. The potters themselves say that streaky
polish is due to lack of persistence on the part of the polisher. Maria
attributes her success to the fact that she uses a faster stroke and
puts on a little more lard than the others. Large vessels usually have a
poorer polish than small ones. The secret of good polishing seems to lie
in the ability of the potter to go over her work as many times as
possible after the slip has been applied and before it becomes too dry.
The time during which the vessel being polished is actually in the hands
of the potter is given in Table VII. The first column (A) represents a
constricted-mouthed bowl, about eight inches in diameter at the shoulder
and four inches high, which was polished by Maria. In one hour and
fifteen minutes elapsed time three such bowls were done, an average of
twenty-five minutes for each. The second column (B) represents the
polishing by another potter of the interior of a shallow wide-mouthed
bowl. The actual time from the moment the bowl was picked up for the
application of the slip until the polishing was done was forty-one
minutes. A rest of one minute was taken after the slip had been applied,
another of thirteen minutes after the application of the lard, in order
to let the bowl “dry”, and a third of one minute when the final
polishing was about half done. The interior of this bowl was a very fine
example of polishing.
TABLE VII
_Min._ _Sec._ _Min._ _Sec._
First application of the slip 00.00 00.00
First polishing begun 02.50 03.00
Slipping of rim begun 04.45
Polishing of rim begun 05.30
Application of lard begun 06.05 10.00
Wiping with dry cloth begun 06.40
Final polishing begun 07.05 11.00
Polishing finished 24.05 26.00
DARK-RED SLIP
The dark-red slip is a mixture of red slip, native white slip, and
tempering material. It is applied to vessels which are later to receive
a black design (see pl. 7, a, b). It is mopped on with a cloth in
exactly the same manner as the red, and is also polished with a stone
but never acquires as high a lustre as does the red. There seems to be a
tendency for the first coat of this slip to dry more readily than the
first coat of the red slip.
While applying the slip to small ollas about six inches in diameter, the
vessel is held by the rim with the left hand. Either the entire exterior
may be slipped, or the base may remain uncoated, to be covered later
with the orange-red slip. The slip is first applied to the rim, the
forefinger being used instead of a mop. During this process the vessel
is right-side up either in the lap or on the floor. The body is then
slipped with the cloth mop, and the polishing done in two parts, with
the shoulder as the dividing line. In polishing the lower part the
strokes begin at the base, or at the lower edge of the slip in case the
base has not been coated, and proceed upward to the shoulder. The
direction of the strokes is practically parallel to the rim. The upper
part is polished from the shoulder to the lip. On the base, if it has
been slipped, the strokes are first made in one direction, then at right
angles to that direction. From time to time, as the polishing proceeds,
the vessels are set aside in order to allow the slip to dry somewhat.
They may even be placed in the sun or near a fire on the hearth. The
potters explain that if the work is completed while the slipped surface
is very damp, the resulting polish will not be as high as when the slip
is just drying. Apparently, the work done just before the surface
becomes dry plays an important part in securing a high lustre. One of
the potters working on this ware applied a little lard to the surface
after the polishing had been completed. Another potter used no lard
whatever for this class of ware.[43] When the polishing has been
completed the vessel is placed in the sun or near a fire to dry
thoroughly before it is put away to await decoration. While the olla is
drying it is covered with a cloth to protect it from flies.
In polishing larger ollas one half of the vessel is coated with the
dark-red slip and polished before the other half is slipped. Either the
half above the shoulder or the half below the shoulder may be polished
first. Rather quick strokes, three or four inches long, are made with
the stone. Sufficient pressure is exerted to cause motion in the entire
body of the worker. The strokes, as before, are usually parallel to the
rim. Because of the larger surface to be covered in these vessels, the
position of the olla on the lap of the potter is changed frequently. It
is supported with the left hand, which is placed palm down upon the
exterior surface. While the lip is being polished, the mouth is turned
toward the body and to the right, making an angle of about sixty degrees
from the horizontal. In polishing the upper part of the shoulder the
potter turns the mouth to the left and away from the body (pl. 21, c).
Usually the mouth is more nearly horizontal in this position than in the
former.
Before applying the slip to the lower half of the olla, a faint line is
drawn with the polishing-stone around the lower part of the body to
define the lower edge of the body-slip. During the slipping and
polishing of this portion of the surface, the olla is held with the
mouth nearly vertical and to the left, directed away from the body. When
the polishing proper is completed, the finishing touches are given to
the entire exterior by rubbing small areas here and there which do not
entirely satisfy the potter.
As in the case of the red slip, the polishing must be completed before
the slip becomes too dry. When there is a large surface to be polished,
as in the case of these ollas, it is of course necessary that the work
upon any given section of the surface be completed as quickly as
possible. Therefore when two potters are working together, the swifter
of the two does the polishing on the larger vessel, regardless of which
of the two applies the slip. After the polishing proper has been
completed, the olla may be turned over to the slower worker for the
finishing touches. This necessity for speed in polishing is probably the
reason for slipping only a part of the surface at one time.
Now and then, as the polishing proceeds, the potter changes stones. An
important factor in this change is the desire to rest the fingers
through the slight alteration in grip afforded by the different shapes
of the stones. Occasionally the change is due to a wish to obtain a
stone with just the proper shaped surface for the section of the olla
being worked upon. There is also a tendency to use a larger, rougher
stone at the beginning of the work, for which is substituted later for
the final finish a smaller, finer-grained, and therefore smoother,
stone.
Because of the practice of slipping and polishing only half the surface
at a time, there develops around the shoulder a narrow line of dried
slip, which is naturally lighter in color than the worked areas. (This
line may be seen encircling the olla in pl. 21, c). After the polishing
of the upper and lower areas has been completed, the potter’s attention
turns to this line, and since dry slip cannot be polished, the rubbing
stone is either wet with the tongue or dipped into the liquid in the
slip-container before being used on the line. The latter method appears
to give the best results, but in either case, the moistening of the
stone is done very frequently, and the process of eliminating the
lighter line is a painfully slow one. Even when the best results have
been obtained, the line is not entirely obliterated. Occasionally the
stone is moistened with the tongue while giving final touches to other
parts of the surface.
When the polishing with the stone has been entirely completed, a little
lard is rubbed on the surface either with the forefinger or with a
greasy cloth; the surface is then vigorously rubbed with a chamois.[44]
This distributes the lard evenly and very noticeably improves the
lustre. Then the vessel, after being covered with a cloth, is put in the
sun to dry thoroughly.
The great difference in the time required for polishing large and small
ollas requires two tables to present the details. Table VIII gives the
time during which a large olla, about fourteen inches in diameter at the
shoulder, was under the hands of the potters. The time devoted to
obliterating the light junction-line, about fifteen to twenty minutes,
was considerably longer than usual. Table IX gives the time required for
three small globular ollas, about six inches in diameter at the
shoulder. The surface of each of these was approximately the same as
that of the polished black constricted-mouthed bowl recorded in Table
VII.
TABLE VIII
_Hrs._ _Min._ _Sec._
00.00 -- Drawing of line about lower part of body begun
01.00 -- Slipping of lower half of olla begun
08.30 -- Slipping finished, polishing begun
23.30 -- Vessel transferred to a slower worker
40.00 -- Set aside
04.45 -- _Time out_
40.00 -- Polishing by slower worker continued
47.45 -- First application of lard begun
48.45 -- Polishing with chamois begun
50.45 -- Lower part finished
? -- _Time out_
50.45 -- Slipping of upper half begun
55.15 -- Slipping of body done, slipping of rim begun
56.45 -- Polishing begun
1.00.45 -- Vessel transferred to the swifter worker
1.20.45 -- Vessel transferred to the slower worker,
obliteration of junction-line
1.53.45 -- First application of lard begun
1.55.45 -- Polishing with chamois begun
1.59.45 -- Polishing of vessel completed
TABLE IX
_Min._ _Sec._
Slipping begun 00.00 00.00 00.00
Slipping completed 03.00
_Time out_ 01.00 omitted
Polishing begun 03.00 04.00 04.00
Set aside (second one beside fire) 27.30 31.30
_Time out_ 03.00 34.30 omitted
Polishing continued 27.30 omitted
Lard first applied, chamois used later 30.30 31.30 32.00
Work on vessel completed 31.45 33.00 36.00
PAINTING
Three varieties of paint are employed in making the designs--the black,
or guaco, which is used on red and polychrome wares, the orange-red
(also used as a slip), which serves as a paint in filling certain spaces
in the designs upon polychrome ware, and the black ware paint which
produces the designs upon polished black ware.[45]
The consistency of the guaco, when dissolved in water and ready for use,
varies from that of water to that of thick cream. The solution is sticky
and has a characteristic odor. A thin solution when applied to the
surface of a vessel is yellowish-green, and has much the same appearance
as a fresh coat of the orange-red paint. After drying the two are easily
distinguishable. A thick solution of guaco is dark brownish-green when
applied to the vessel, and on drying has a noticeable “body”, so that
the lines appear slightly raised and glossy. It is not possible to draw
as fine a line with the thick solution as with the thin one.
The orange-red is never used in painting lines, but only for filling
areas, and is therefore always applied with a medium or heavy brush.
In preparing the black ware paint, a slight amount of guaco is added as
an adhesive, and the solution is often stirred with the fingers in order
to insure complete dissolving of the coloring matter. When first applied
to the vessel, this paint is almost transparent; as it dries it becomes
yellowish.
The principal precaution taken when painting is begun is to guard
against flies. They eat the moist guaco, causing blank spaces in the
lines, and also make fly-specks on the slip which turn black in the
firing. The room is therefore cleared of flies as far as possible, and
great care then exercised to keep the door shut. The painter watches the
pot constantly, and often interrupts her work in order to brush a fly
from the design. If it is necessary to do the painting out of doors, the
services of an assistant are required to wave a cloth back and forth
across the top of the vessel to keep the flies away.[46] When the work
has been completed the vessels are immediately covered with a cloth.
The receptacle for paint may be either a small open-mouthed pottery bowl
or a china sauce-dish. During the painting it is on the right side of
the potter within easy reach, either on the floor or on a low stool. In
it is always a stirring-stick.
[Illustration: PLATE 22
Painting designs on small vessels. The decorator’s right hand does not
come in contact with the pot, and the tip of the brush is trailed rather
than stroked across the surface. a. Maria Martinez. b. Maximiliana
Martinez.]
The brushes are usually kept in the paint, or occasionally beside it,
and sometimes a pencil is also near at hand (pl. 23, a).
In decorating the exterior of a constricted-mouthed bowl, the vessel is
held upright and inclined very slightly towards the body; it rests on
the left knee and is steadied by the pressure of the left hand against
the interior of the rim (pl. 22, a). The potter sits in a position which
allows the light to come over her right shoulder directly upon the
section of the bowl being painted. As the work proceeds the vessel is
turned counterclockwise. When the design extends slightly below the
shoulder, the bowl is inclined to the left and away from the body. If a
considerable portion of the design is below the shoulder, the vessel is
inverted and is supported by the fingers of the left hand against the
interior base of the bowl.
If the interior of an open-mouthed bowl is being painted, the enclosing
lines near the rim are made first. During this process the bowl is held
with the mouth vertical and to the right, while the lines are drawn on
the lower part of the interior rim. The vessel moves counterclockwise.
The bottom of the interior is painted with the bowl standing in its
normal position on the left knee, the mouth inclined to the right and
toward the body.
When a large vessel, such as an olla, is to be painted, it is placed
upon a box or table of the proper height, which has previously been
covered with a rug or mat to protect the base (pl. 23). The painter
chooses her position so that the light will fall over her shoulder upon
the vessel. During the painting of the upper part of the vessel it is
touched with the left hand only when it needs to be turned. In working
below the shoulder the vessel is tilted slightly to the left, and away
from the painter.
The paint-brushes are made of slivers of yucca (fig. 5). They may be
roughly grouped into three weights--fine, medium, and heavy.[47] The
fine ones are used in making outlines on the smaller vessels; the medium
ones either for line work or for the filling of small areas; and the
heavy ones for filling only. During the painting there are from three to
six brushes in the paint vessel. These brushes are of such durability
that the potters have no definite idea of the length of their
usefulness. Since the fibres are brittle when dry, brushes are
occasionally broken by accident; to prevent such breakage they are
soaked in water for a few minutes to soften them before they are used.
The brush is held in the right hand, with the fingers in the position
used in holding a pencil or pen. The ends of the fingers are two or
three inches from the tip of the brush (pl. 22, a, b.; pl. 23, a). The
fingers of the right hand do not rest upon the surface of the vessel and
the entire right arm is unsupported (pl. 23), although at times the
elbow may be unconsciously steadied against the body. The straightness
and evenness of the lines drawn under these conditions are remarkable.
There is a slight personal variation in the method of contact of the
brush with the vessel. One potter uses only the tip of the brush;
another first places the tip upon the surface, and then makes the line
with the body of the brush; a third places the body of the brush upon
the vessel at the first contact. In making a line a trailing stroke is
invariably used; its direction is usually toward the body, but
occasionally away from it. The brush is always moved slowly, and the
angle at which it is held varies according to the part of the surface
over which the line is being drawn, and upon the part of the stroke
which is being made. At the beginning of a stroke the angle is an acute
one, varying from forty-five to seventy degrees (fig. 8, a); about the
middle it approximates ninety degrees (fig. 8, b); while at the end it
is often an obtuse angle of as much as one hundred and twenty degrees
(fig. 8, c). On small vessels the strokes seldom exceed four inches in
length; on larger pots they are sometimes as much as six inches long.
After each stroke the brush is dipped into the paint vessel; it is then
always drawn across the stirring stick, which is kept
[Illustration: FIG. 8. Angles at which paint-brush is held during a long
stroke; a. Beginning. b. Middle of stroke. c. End.]
there, in order to remove excess paint before being applied again to the
surface. Even after this precaution more paint occasionally remains on
the brush than is needed; in such a case the excess is removed by
touching with the tip of the brush various larger areas which will later
be covered with paint.
The width of the lines drawn is largely dependent upon personal
variation, although the type of design also governs their width to some
extent. Exceedingly fine lines, for example, would obviously look out of
proportion in a bold design upon a large olla. The lines vary in width
from one-thirtieth to one-tenth of an inch; the great majority are
between one-fifteenth and one-twentieth. Lines one-eighth or one-quarter
of an inch wide are in reality double, that is, they actually consist of
two lines painted so close together that they touch along their entire
length. Still wider lines are made by two parallel lines, with the space
between filled up. Some potters simply make the line once, retouching it
only in small sections which most plainly require such treatment. Others
go over each line at least twice in order to insure a constant width.
[Illustration: PLATE 23
Decorating large ollas. Note the unsupported arm of the painter and the
length of the brush. On the bench in front is the paint-cup with
stirring-stick and extra brushes (Antonita Roybal).]
From the point of view of technique, the lines upon the exteriors of
small vessels, such as constricted-mouthed bowls, may be divided into
two groups--the long enclosing lines and those within panels. In forming
the enclosing lines, especially the long horizontal ones, the vessel is
turned while the brush remains almost stationary. There are two methods
of forming such long horizontal lines, which of necessity are made of a
series of relatively short strokes. In one case the growth of the line
is in the same direction as the strokes, that is, each stroke begins at
the point at which the previous stroke ended. In this method the vessel
is turned counterclockwise. In the other case the growth of the line is
opposite to the direction of the stroke, that is, each stroke is begun a
short distance beyond the end of the line and is drawn to meet the
beginning of the previous stroke, the vessel being turned clockwise. In
either case the fingers of the left hand, which hold the pot by the
interior of the lip, are spread far apart in order to insure the
constant and regular motion of the vessel. When the lines within a panel
are being drawn, the procedure is just the reverse. The bowl remains
stationary while the brush is drawn across it. Occasionally lines which
are nearly horizontal are drawn first in one direction, then in the
other. In some cases, when long diagonal or curved lines are being made,
the vessel is turned very slightly counterclockwise.
Large vessels, such as ollas, remain stationary while the brush is being
drawn across the surface, and are turned only when a new area is to be
worked upon. Lines within panels are usually made with a single stroke
of the brush, for it is seldom that a diagonal or curved line within a
panel is more than four or five inches long. In large open designs the
long lines, both straight and curved, are often drawn in two parts.
Crosshatching is made by two sets of parallel lines crossing each other.
Dotting is done with the tip of the brush touched lightly to the
surface. Spaces are filled with a heavier brush by means of many short
strokes. As a rule the strokes begin at the upper right hand corner of
the area and proceed downward. In filling spaces, as in drawing lines,
some women go over their work only once, others apply two or three coats
in order to insure even distribution of the paint.
Some potters exhibit much sureness of touch and confidence in their own
ability; their designs are executed without hesitation, but at the same
time slowly. Others make hard work of the painting, seem uncertain, and
occasionally stop to rest and inspect the symmetry of the pattern.
There are two general points in the painting of vessels which should be
emphasized. The first is the remarkable steadiness of the painter’s
hand. It seems almost incredible that such straight, unwaving, even
lines can be drawn by a hand which is supported only by a completely
free arm, and guided merely by the end of the brush. The second is the
fact that the men often assist in the painting of designs. They may
either execute a complete design upon a vessel, or relieve the painter
from time to time during the construction of large patterns. This is the
only phase of the actual manufacture of pottery in which the men of the
village take part.[48]
FIRING