The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-02-24
POTTERY Of YHg PuEBLos.
Gid Mexican Tribes Which Seem to Havs
Born Genius for Artistic Work.

Okd mexican Tribes Which Seem to HSV8
Born Genius for Artistic Work.
lDenver News.l
In the southwestern part of old Mex
leo, near the city of Guadala a, on the
west side of the Sierra Madre noun
tains, is made the famous Guadalaja
pottery by Indians who live in huts and
are but partly civilized { OCCASIONALLY
they bring their wares into the city and
dispose of them in trade, but not often.
They are usually sought out by CORE
spOndents or agents who have orders
to buy them, and who seldom fail to
procure at least few pieces of the pot
terry when they are sent on these mis-
SiOns.
Formerly the Indians did not care to
exchange their wares for money; they
preferred trading them for bright col
Ored goods and provisions. but they
have long since learned that their goods
are valuable, and they can not now be
induced to part with them, except for
a good, round price. 1t is said to he a
novel sight, that OF coming upon hut
unexpectedly and watching unseen a
group Of Indians molding and putting
into shape the yellow clay from which
all their wares are made. The habits
of these tribes are said by those who
have visited them to be very clearly,
and one may sit down in hut and
watch the indians at their work with
perfect impunity, and tOlerable de-
gree of comfort. The old Ne iican
tribes particularly seem to have born
genius or pottery making; their wares
are fine and finished, having silky
surface which is decorated with deli
cate traceries of birds and leaves usu-
ally done in gilt. These pieces Rre re-
markedly beautiful, and rem4nN Qne
wildly of the work of the ancient Euro
pean potters, save that the shapes are
usually ponderOus, whereas the an
tique shapes are known for their slender
and graceful outlines.
There are three or four Indians in old
Mex CO who are sculptors as well as pot
tiers; tourist who has travelled through
the country says that he stood for five
minutes before one of these gifted old
savages, who at the expiration of that
time had produced a faithful copy of his
face in clay. The story seems almost
incredible, but it is known to be true.
The Mexican traveller now has the bust
in his possession, and says it is as faith
full likeness as an Italian sculptor
would cut out of marble for the alleged
reasOnaf lie compensation of $4,000.
Naturally these workers do not know
enough to put any semblance of a sigma
ture on their work, and a recent game
of tbs willy agents has been to stamp it
with their II mes, thinking thus to gain
reputation and to increase the state of
thcir finances. The buyers, however,
were not easily deceived, and lost no
tire IN putting an end to the attempted
sT indie.
the work of the New Mevican Indians
is crude, clumsy in shape, and awkward
IN construction, the Line, small cnar-
acter figures are all made by the natives
of Old Next o, who initiate everything
they see in the cities, even to a game of
monte, or the figure of a native police
man or soldier j he eW Mexican pot
terry is mostly made by the squaws, and
although the work is characteristic and
unique there is not suggestion of the
grace and finish about it that is seen liz
completeness in the Guadalaia pottery.
The 1 ueblo Indians in New Mexico
make a commOner kind Of pottery,
which is very rough, of the original
clay color, and decorated with gro
tesque figures in dull blue and green's.
A unique piece in Pueblo pottery is a
water cooler, which is a fat, oval yes
which strings are run in order to
suspend it at some height. This vessel
is very thick, and is said to be the most
effective of all water-cooiers. Pottery
of all descriptions is sub ected to a
baking process, which occupies ifty-Six
hours. This gives the native artisan
time to rest, and furnishes the Jaws
with employment in making the fires,
which have to be kept at an even heat
When a merchant desires a certain
piece of pottery he sends for squaw
and shows her what he wants her to
initiate. She studies the ob ect he
shows her carefully, goes to her hut,
and comes back In less than week
with a crude lik ness of the thing she
saw. These subjects are very often
fancy soaps, which are made in forms
of animals, flowers, etc. There are
little match boxes, which come in shapes
of boots, shoes, slippers, or even stock
ings- all these are copied by the sQuaws,
and are often found among collections
of pottery.