Chapter III: Part 3

The kajepe is always used first on the inside. This is done in order to press out the sides and to give the bowl something of its final shape before the paste becomes too dry. The work begins at the bottom of the vessel and slowly advances toward the top; the bowl gradually assumes a spherical shape, the sides being forced farthest out about half way between the base and the rim. During this process the outside surface, since it is being expanded, begins to show innumerable small cracks. The strokes of the kajepe on the interior are short and always nearly horizontal, the implement being pulled towards the body. During this first use of the kajepe all traces of the junction-lines between the rolls are removed from the inside of the vessel. The tool is always held in the right hand, and the left hand, which is constantly used on the exterior as a brace and stop, is placed directly opposite the spot on the inside which is being worked. One woman scrapes in the seven-to-ten-o’clock sector, turning the bowl clockwise; that is, working from the scraped to the unscraped surface. The vessel is turned through about sixty degrees at each change of position, and about a third of the surface just scraped is gone over again by the strokes on the new sector. Another works in the nine-to-twelve-o’clock sector, turning the bowl counterclockwise, that is, working from unscraped to scraped surface; in doing this she turns the puki five or six times through an angle of between sixty and eighty degrees for each turn, before the entire interior has been gone over.

The kajepe is then applied to the exterior of the bowl (pl. 14, b). The concave surface of the kajepe is preferred for the first of the exterior scraping, although the convex surface is not infrequently used. The strokes begin again at the base. At first, when the kajepe comes in contact with the puki, the strokes are very nearly vertical. A little higher on the bowl they become diagonal. Near the rim the strokes are almost horizontal, but still have a perceptible downward slant. The kajepe is always pulled toward the body. The stroke on the exterior is from four to five inches, generally a little longer than that on the interior. During this step one woman turns the puki counterclockwise, working in the two-to-four-o’clock sector; another turns it in the same direction, but works in the four-to-six-o’clock sector. In both cases the strokes are from the scraped to the unscraped surface. Although the larger portion of the actual shaping of the bowl is done from the interior, the drawing in of the upper part to form a constricted mouth is done with the kajepe on the exterior, when the step last described is nearing completion. As when working on the interior, the left hand again acts as a brace and a stop, but this time on the inside of the bowl.[32] Usually only the ends of the fingers rest against the side. Upon the completion of the use of the kajepe on the outside for the first time, all traces of the coil-marks and of the fine cracks developed during the interior scraping are removed, but the surface is still rather rough (pl. 14, b; also 12, b, 3). After both surfaces have been gone over for the first time with the kajepe, the rim is once more trued up in the manner already described. Then, depending upon the stiffness of the paste, the piece may be set aside to harden a little or the work may continue without interruption.

The women hold the kajepe with fingers either slightly bent, or nearly fully flexed; in the latter position the tool is grasped between the thumb and bent forefinger. Just before using, the kajepe is dipped in water; and the edge is then drawn across the palm of the left hand to remove excess water before it is applied to the bowl. After perhaps a dozen strokes, the paste which has collected on the tool is removed by a dexterous motion: the inner side of the thumb of the left hand is run along the edge of the kajepe to collect the paste; then the inner side of the forefinger of the same hand is run from the base to the tip of the thumb. This brings the paste to the ends of the two fingers in the form of a pellet, which is thrown upon the mass on the canvas. Since the paste has a tendency to stick to the fingers, the potter must throw it with a jerk or snap.

When the kajepe has been used once over the entire surface, it is usually reversed so as to present its convex side to the bowl, made a little damper than for the previous scraping, and the whole process repeated in detail for both the interior and exterior. This results in better symmetry and a smoother surface. The rim is again finished in the manner already described. The walls of the bowl have by this time been thinned to about one-half or two-thirds of their original thickness, all major irregularities and rough spots have been removed, the vessel is fully shaped, and only the finishing touches are needed before it is ready to be sun-dried. The paste now has the consistency of soft thick leather.

The first step in the finishing sometimes consists in again going over both surfaces with a wet kajepe, to smooth them still more. Occasionally only the exterior is so treated. Then the bowl is turned repeatedly, while the potter touches small areas with the convex surface of the kajepe. At this point particular attention is given to the bottom of the interior; it may be retouched with the kajepe, or simply smoothed over with the ball of the thumb or forefinger. If the surface seems slightly uneven, small pellets of paste are rubbed into the bottom and then levelled down with the kajepe. The bowl on the puki is then placed upon the palm of the left hand, held at eye level, and revolved slowly, while the potter examines it for rough spots and slight irregularities of contour, which when found are smoothed over with the forefinger of the right hand. After being replaced upon the floor, the bowl may be gently pressed between the hands in order slightly to improve its symmetry. Finally the rim is smoothed for the last time, little pellets of paste being added, if necessary, to fill in shallow depressions, and great care is taken to make it as regular and smooth as possible. It is obviously impossible to describe in detail the exact procedure followed in this finishing process, for the method adopted is chosen according to the needs of the individual vessel. After all this is done, the piece is ready to be sun-dried. Its present appearance is very different from that which it had when the building was completed (compare pl. 12, b, 2, and b, 3).

The moulding of bowls less than four inches in diameter is a very simple matter compared with that of the larger ones, for there is no use of puki, rolls, or kajepe. After working the paste in the hands the resulting lump is formed into a flat spheroid. The forefinger of the right hand is inserted in the centre of this, the clay held horizontally and slowly revolved by a slight tossing rotary motion of the left hand. The forefinger of the right hand enlarges the hole and gradually shapes the mass into the desired form, thinning the sides at the same time. If the resulting bowl is too high, the rim is pinched off with the thumb and fore-finger of the right hand. When the proper shape and thickness have been attained, the little bowl is held upright in the left hand, while the fingers of the right smooth the sides and the rim. When completed it is set on a board to dry. Sometimes one of the larger of these bowls is placed in a small puki and reshaped with the kajepe. One woman used the kajepe on the interior of the vessel while it rested upon her left hand. The bowl, when treated in this way, and finished in the same manner as the larger bowls, was noticeably a better piece of moulding than the average small piece.

The time consumed in moulding bowls is variable, depending on the dexterity and speed of the potter and to a somewhat lesser degree upon the sort of vessel being moulded. Comparisons between potters are apt to be misleading, for no two make bowls of exactly the same size or exercise the same amount of care in finishing, which, from the point of view of time consumed, is the most variable phase of the moulding. One potter moulded a wide-mouthed bowl of four rolls in twenty minutes; another finished two spherical bowls of six rolls each in forty-eight minutes; a third potter, the swiftest of the three, finished a wide-mouthed bowl of two rolls after it had been under her hands just fourteen and one-half minutes. The first potter moulded six of the small bowls (less than four inches in diameter) in fifty-five minutes, averaging nine minutes to each, but to refinish one of them with a kajepe she took thirteen minutes. The third potter moulded one of the small type of bowls in four minutes.

In considering in detail the time consumed in moulding, the work of Maria Martinez was studied. She is the swiftest and most dexterous potter of San Ildefonso, and moulds in a quarter to a third less time than the slowest of the others. In three hours she turned out ten bowls, averaging about seven inches in diameter, of the constricted-mouthed and similar types; this is an average of one in eighteen minutes. She was working constantly, first on one, then on another. Subsequently she moulded six two-roll constricted-mouthed bowls in one hour and twenty-six minutes, an average of fourteen and a third minutes each. The various steps in the moulding of two bowls are recorded in Table I, which gives the actual time consumed in minutes and seconds from the beginning of the first of the pair until the two were finished and set aside. In Table II the growth and treatment of a single bowl are given in more detail, with the time in minutes and seconds that it was under the hands of the potter. This piece was one of five constricted-mouthed bowls of three rolls each which were moulded in sixty-four minutes, an average of twelve minutes, forty-eight seconds for each vessel.

TABLE I

Bowl A, constricted-mouthed bowl, diam. 8 in.; Bowl B, wide-mouthed bowl, diam. 7 in.

_Min._ _Sec._
{ 0.00 Bowl A -- clay picked up from pile
{ 2.00 “ “ -- pat in puki and pinched up
4.30 { 3.00 “ “ -- first roll on and pinched flat
{ 4.00 “ “ -- second roll on and pinched flat
{ 4.30 “ “ -- rim smoothed and bowl set aside

(_no pause_)

{ 4.30 Bowl B -- clay picked up from pile
{ 5.30 “ “ -- pat in puki and pinched up
2.50 { 6.20 “ “ -- first roll on and pinched flat
{ 7.10 “ “ -- second roll on and pinched flat
{ 7.20 “ “ -- rim smoothed and bowl set aside

(_pause of 40 seconds_)

{ 8.00 Bowl A -- picked up again
{ 8.30 “ “ -- interior scraping stopped
{ 9.15 “ “ -- exterior scraping stopped
{ 9.45 “ “ -- first rim smoothing stopped
{ 11.00 “ “ -- first interior smoothing stopped
8.00 { 11.30 “ “ -- first exterior smoothing stopped
{ 12.45 “ “ -- second rim smoothing stopped
{ 13.45 “ “ -- second interior smoothing stopped
{ 14.30 “ “ -- second exterior smoothing stopped
{ 15.15 “ “ -- third rim smoothing stopped
{ 16.00 “ “ -- finishing touches stopped; bowl completed

(_pause of 15 seconds_)

{ 16.15 Bowl B -- picked up again
{ 16.45 “ “ -- interior scraping stopped
{ 17.00 “ “ -- exterior scraping stopped
{ 18.00 “ “ -- first rim smoothing stopped
{ 18.30 “ “ -- first interior smoothing stopped
5.05 { 19.00 “ “ -- second rim smoothing stopped
{ 19.45 “ “ -- second interior smoothing stopped
{ 20.45 “ “ -- touching up stopped
{ 21.00 “ “ -- third rim smoothing stopped
{ 21.15 “ “ -- third interior smoothing stopped
{ 21.20 “ “ -- bowl completed

Total, Bowl A--12 minutes, 30 seconds Total, Bowl B--7 minutes, 55 seconds

TABLE II

Small, constricted-mouthed bowl

_Min._ _Sec._ 00.00 -- clay picked up from pile 00.15 -- pat put in puki 01.00 -- clay for first roll picked up 01.15 -- one end of first roll pinched on pat 01.50 -- first roll flattened, and clay for second roll picked up 02.10 -- one end of second roll pinched on pat 02.40 -- second roll flattened, and clay for third roll picked up 02.50 -- one end of third roll pinched on pat 03.30 -- third roll flattened, and rim smoothing begun 03.50 -- bowl set aside

(_14 minutes, 10 seconds, elapsed_)

03.50 -- interior kajepe-scraping begun 04.25 -- exterior kajepe-scraping begun 04.55 -- rim smoothing begun 05.20 -- bowl set aside

(_18 minutes, 30 seconds, elapsed_)

05.20 -- interior kajepe-smoothing begun 06.00 -- small roll placed around edge of interior base and patted down 06.40 -- interior kajepe-smoothing begun 06.55 -- exterior kajepe-smoothing begun, lip turned in 07.45 -- rim smoothing begun 08.50 -- exterior kajepe-smoothing begun 09.25 -- interior kajepe-smoothing begun 10.05 -- rim smoothing begun 10.50 -- bowl held at eye level, exterior kajepe-smoothing begun 11.17 -- bowl placed on floor, interior kajepe-smoothing begun 11.45 -- moulding completed, bowl set aside

OLLAS

In the moulding of ollas the first step is the building of the lower part of the body to a height of four or five rings in the same manner as in bowl-construction. Since ollas have a larger diameter than bowls, more than one roll is needed to form a complete ring about the growing edge. The number of rolls per ring varies from one and a half to four, depending upon the size of the olla and the part worked upon. When this first building has been completed (pl. 15, a), the rim is smoothed somewhat and the scraping and shaping are at once begun.

The use of the kajepe in the shaping of ollas is identical in all details with that described above in discussing the moulding of bowls. The roll-junctions and the fingerprints are entirely removed and the sides of the vessel are flared a little. Great care is taken not to flare the sides too much, for the paste at this stage is still rather soft, and if the sides are flared unduly they collapse outward of their own weight. When the preliminary shaping has been finished the rim is smoothed a

SUCCESSIVE STAGES IN THE MOULDING OF AN OLLA

a. Lower wall built up of rings of clay. b. Sides smoothed and flared by use of the kajepe. c. Sides further flared and more carefully smoothed. d. Shoulder partly formed. e. Shoulder finished. f. Neck built. g, h. Neck flared and final smoothing completed; the vessels have been shifted in the moulds to allow work on lower sides.]

little, and the olla is placed in the sun to stiffen. The moulding has now reached the second stage (pl. 15, b).

The vessel remains in the sun from twenty to thirty minutes. This period may be extended to as much as an hour and a half, if the vessel is in the shade or if other things occupy the potter’s time. During all the drying periods, at intervals varying from five to fifteen minutes, the potter dips her right hand in the water of the lard-pail, and moistens the rim of the partly finished olla in order to keep it soft enough to permit perfect welding when additional rolls are added. While one vessel is drying, the potter is usually occupied with another. In case the work on the latter is finished before the former is dry enough, the potter simply waits, or finds some other work with which to occupy herself until it is ready.

The test of the condition of the olla after this short drying is to pat the side gently with the balls of the fingers. The clay is now very much like soft leather. The degree of resistance offered by the side indicates the condition of the paste. Of course the value of such a test depends entirely upon the knowledge and sense of touch possessed by the potter, two qualities which can be gained only through long experience.

When the paste in the olla, which now has the shape of an open-mouthed bowl, has reached the proper degree of firmness, the vessel is brought in and the shaping continued. By using the kajepe first on the interior and then on the exterior, the sides are flared still more until the desired shape for the lower part of the olla has been obtained. Then, after a hasty smoothing of the rim, the vessel, now in the third stage (pl. 15, c), is again set aside to dry. When it has become firm enough to support the weight of the new rolls to be added, the building is continued. The temporary rim has been kept soft by the application of water from time to time. The method of preparing this rim for the application of the rings varies slightly with different potters. The rim may be pinched into scallops between the thumb and forefinger of either hand, usually the right, or it may be roughened by vertical strokes of the kajepe on the exterior. In the former case the scallops may touch one another (pl. 16, a), or they may be separated by a quarter to a half inch of unpinched rim. When the kajepe is used, it also destroys the original smoothness of the rim, producing an irregular, broken surface to which the new roll can easily be welded.

The potter must now build that part of the olla which has the greatest diameter. Each new ring of clay must therefore be of greater diameter than those which preceded and those which will follow. Three or four rather slender rolls are used to make such a ring. After two complete rings have been placed on the vessel and flattened, the shaping is begun. Gradually the new rim is drawn in until the shoulder of the olla has been formed. Again the rim is smoothed before the vessel is set aside. The moulding of the olla has now reached the fourth stage (pl. 15, d).

The olla is once more allowed to dry for about the same length of time as before. During these successive dryings the presence or absence of wind plays a considerable part in the length of time the vessel is allowed to remain in the sun; for a stiff breeze will dry the paste almost as quickly as the sun itself. The potters do not like to mould ollas when there is much wind because the paste dries so quickly that the vessel is ready to be taken up again before the second vessel, upon which the potter is working, is ready to set aside. Occasionally, but by no means always, the drying olla is turned so as to present a fresh section of the side to the sun.

After testing with the hand the newly built part of the olla, to determine its firmness, the vessel, if sufficiently dried, is taken to the work-board and the building continued. The pinching of the rim is done as before, two more rings are added, and their shaping is begun. The rolls decrease very slowly in diameter. In shaping with the kajepe only the newly added section of the vessel is treated. At this stage the work becomes more difficult, for the two rings just added form the lower part of the neck of the olla, and therefore constrict the mouth of the partly finished vessel. If the paste is a little too soft, the newly built section will sag when the shaping is begun. The vessel must then be set aside at once until it reaches the proper degree of stiffness. While using the kajepe on the exterior, during this stage of the construction, the left hand is held inside the vessel not only as a brace or stop, but also as a support for the incurving side. When the scraping and smoothing have been finished, and the side has been given the proper curve, the rim is smoothed a little before the vessel, now in the fifth stage (pl. 15, e), is again set aside.

Half an hour or so later the building of the olla is completed by the addition of one more ring. The rolls composing this ring are distinctly more slender than the first rolls used in the vessel. When this ring has been applied the rim is cursorily smoothed and the last shaping begun. The final delicate contour of the vessel depends to a large extent upon this final shaping near the rim. The kajepe is used with painstaking care, and the work progresses slowly. A slight outward flare is given to the lip by careful manipulation of the kajepe on the interior. When this is completed, the olla has reached the sixth stage (pl. 15, f).

The finishing touches consist largely in going over the rim carefully and adding pellets of paste when necessary, thus making its curve as nearly uniform as possible. This process consumes a considerable amount of time, for the work is done very painstakingly and slowly (pl. 17, a). The vessel has now attained its final shape (pl. 15, g and h), and for the last time is set out in the sun to dry.

The time taken to mould an olla is far greater than that necessary for a bowl. The type of olla shown in the illustrations is about fourteen inches in diameter at the shoulder. The potter who made these counted on moulding two such ollas each day. On some days a little time was left in the afternoon in which to make some smaller vessels, but no olla was ever begun in the afternoon. Ollas were usually started between ten and eleven o’clock in the morning and finished between half-past-three and half-past-four in the afternoon. During the early morning the household tasks had to be attended to; at noon about an hour was used in preparing and eating lunch; and at various times during the day the children, especially the baby, made it necessary for the potter to leave her work. Table III, columns A and B, gives in detail the various steps in the construction of two ollas, together with the time each vessel was actually under the hands of the potter and the length of the intervals in which the vessel was drying; columns C and D record two other ollas on which the observations were less complete. As a rule it requires one and a half

a

Potter moulding an olla. The first roll at the shoulder has just been added. The temporary rim has been pinched up with the thumb and forefinger to provide a firm seat for the succeeding roll.

b

A potter of San Ildefonso. The costume is typical of the Rio Grande Pueblos. With the exception of the shawl it is entirely of native manufacture.]

hours’ work to mould an olla. In the case of olla A, the potter was unfortunate in misjudging the proper consistency of the paste, which delayed the construction of this vessel an entire half-hour, omitting the periods of additional drying. The two ollas were begun at eleven o’clock in the morning; the second of the two was set aside completed at eight minutes past four in the afternoon.

It is said that it requires one whole day, and sometimes two, to mould a single very large olla. The process is identical with that just described. In the case of small ollas (such as those seen in pl. 18, a) a single period of drying elapses between the construction of the body and that of the neck. These small ollas can be moulded in a little less than twice the time taken for a bowl of about the same diameter.

TABLE III

A B C D _Min._ _Sec._ First clay picked up 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 Pat placed in puki 04.00 04.00 Second handful of clay picked up 04.30 05.30 First roll added 05.00 06.00 First ring flattened, second begun 06.45 08.30 Second ring flattened, third begun 09.00 10.00 Third ring flattened, fourth begun 11.30 12.30 Fourth ring flattened, fifth begun 15.00 16.45 Fifth ring flattened (Stage I, pl. 15, a), inside scraping begun 18.30 20.00 Exterior scraping begun 21.00 21.30 Rim smoothed and interior scraping begun 23.00 24.00 Rim smoothing begun 25.00 27.30 Set aside (Stage II, pl. 15, b) 26.00 29.00 _Time out_ 34.00 24.30 Interior smoothing, then exterior 26.00 29.00 Set aside (Stage III, pl. 15, c) 33.00 32.30 _Time out_ 53.00 59.00 Pinching of rim begun 33.00 32.30 33.00 33.00 Pinching of rim completed 34.15 33.30 First roll made 35.00 34.15 First roll pinched on, second begun 35.30 34.30 Second roll pinched on, flattening begun 39.45 36.30 First ring flattened 41.00 37.30 37.00 Second ring flattened, rim smoothing begun 45.00 41.30 41.00 Interior scraping begun 45.30 42.00 42.00 Exterior scraping begun 50.00 45.00 45.00 Rim smoothing begun 52.00 47.00 Interior smoothing begun 53.30 48.30 47.00 Exterior smoothing begun 55.00 49.30 52.00 Rim smoothing begun 57.00 50.15 Set aside (Stage IV, pl. 15, d) 58.00 50.45 54.00 55.00 _Time out_ 27.00 20.45 28.00 68.00 Pinching of rim begun 58.00 50.45 54.00 55.00 Pinching of rim completed 58.45 51.15 First roll completed 59.30 52.00 First ring flattened, second begun 64.00 56.45 Second ring on 66.15 59.45 Second ring flattened, rim smoothing begun 67.15 60.30 61.00 Exterior scraping begun 68.00 60.45 61.15 Interior scraping begun 70.00 omitted omitted omitted Set aside (clay too soft) 70.30 “ “ “ Rim smoothing begun omitted 63.00 “ “ Set aside omitted 63.45 “ “ _Time out_ 13.45 17.00 “ “ Interior scraping begun 70.30 63.45 64.00 Exterior smoothing begun 75.15 69.15 Rim smoothing begun 77.15 71.45 Set aside (Stage V, pl. 15, e) 79.15 73.30 69.00 67.00 _Time out_ 18.00 15.15 68.00 42.00 Interior smoothing begun 79.15 omitted omitted omitted Exterior smoothing begun 83.45 “ “ “ Rim smoothing begun 84.15 “ “ “ Set aside 84.45 “ “ “ _Time out_ 33.00 “ “ “ Interior smoothing begun 84.45 “ “ “ Exterior smoothing begun 88.00 “ “ “ Set aside 89.45 “ “ “ _Time out_ 21.00 “ “ “ Pinching of rim begun 89.45 73.30 69.00 67.00 First roll put on 92.45 75.00 Ring flattened, rim smoothed, exterior scraping begun 94.45 77.30 73.00 Interior scraping begun 97.45 79.00 76.00 Exterior smoothing begun 100.15 81.30 Interior smoothing begun (Stage VI, pl. 15, f) 101.45 83.00 Exterior smoothing begun 102.45 omitted omitted omitted Rim smoothing begun 103.30 84.30 84.00 83.00 Set aside (clay in rim too soft) 105.15 omitted omitted omitted _Time out_ 16.30 “ “ “ Interior and exterior smoothing begun omitted “ “ 87.00 Rim finishing begun 105.15 90.30 91.00 Vessel completed (Stage VII, pl. 15, g, h) 119.45 94.30 93.00 98.00

Total elapsed time from beginning: Ollas A and B, 5 hours, 7 minutes, 30 seconds; Ollas C and D, about 5 hours.

COOKING-VESSELS

The clay forming the paste of these pieces is called Apache clay, and is very different from that employed in making ordinary ware (see p. 22); it is used without the addition of any tempering material.

Just before moulding is started, the clay is carefully gone over in a final search for small pebbles. The moulding differs only in detail from that of vessels made from other kinds of paste. A pat very much thinner than those described above is made and placed in the puki. The vessel is built by the addition of rolls which are of smaller diameter than usual--about three-eighths of an inch. When the body has been built to the desired height, the scraping and smoothing with the kajepe are begun. At first the vessel, like the others, is cylindrical; but the scraping, first on the

a. Putting the finishing touches on an olla. The potter’s left hand is supporting the soft neck while she shapes it from the outside with the kajepe. In front is a pile of base-moulds (pukis) for small bowls; at the potter’s right is a lard-pail of water and a reserve supply of clay wrapped in a canvas.

b. Applying a horizontal handle to a small olla; two gourd spoons (kajepes) are lying on the table.]

interior and then on the exterior, thins the sides and gives it a spherical shape. After the smoothing the sides are from one-eighth to three-sixteenths of an inch thick, much thinner than the walls of vessels made of other kinds of paste. When the body has assumed the desired shape, additional rolls are added to form the lip, which is scraped, smoothed, and flared with the kajepe. During the entire period of moulding small pebbles are constantly being found and removed, for Apache clay contains a great many more pebbles than the other clays. After the finishing touches have been completed, the rim is indented, and a vertical handle is added as described below (see p. 50).

The indenting of the rim is done with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand. The thumb is placed under the flaring rim, with the nail vertical; the forefinger rests upon the lip, the nail horizontal. The fingers are in about the position they would assume were the potter holding a pencil. A gentle downward pressure of the hand indents the rim slightly, the nail of the thumb leaving a small mark on the under side of the lip. This pressure is repeated at intervals of about three-quarters of an inch until the entire lip has been given an indented or undulating edge.

The construction described above is that of a small olla about six inches in diameter. Larger ollas are built in several stages in the same manner as ollas made of the other forms of paste.[33]

The time consumed in the moulding of cooking vessels was noted in only one case. Six rolls were used for the body and two for the lip. Before the kajepe was used for the first time the cylindrical body was five inches in diameter and four and a half inches high. Table IV gives the time of construction, divided according to the various steps of the work.

TABLE IV

_Min._ _Sec._ 00.00 -- Kneading of small handful of clay to eliminate pebbles begun 04.00 -- Pat placed in puki, kneading of clay for rolls begun 12.00 -- Making of first roll begun 19.00 -- Six rolls added and flattened, interior scraping begun 20.30 -- Exterior scraping begun, later interior smoothing begun, followed shortly by exterior smoothing 26.00 -- Seventh roll added 29.00 -- Eighth roll flattened and interior smoothing begun 29.30 -- Exterior smoothing begun 32.00 -- Rim smoothing begun 38.00 -- Finishing touches begun, followed by indenting rim 46.00 -- Moulding completed, vessel set aside 9.00 -- _Time out_ 46.00 -- Work upon handle begun 49.00 -- Handle finished, vessel completed

PRAYER-MEAL BOWLS

Prayer-meal bowls are of two sorts, bowl-shaped with a terraced elevation on one side of the rim, and rectangular, or box-like, with a terraced elevation at either end. In the construction of a rectangular prayer-meal bowl, no puki is employed. The pat, either circular or rectangular in shape, is made as usual. It is placed upon a board, care being taken to press it down hard, and the rectangular shape is accentuated by the pinching up of the edge. A thin layer of temper may, or may not, be sprinkled on the board before the pat is placed upon it. To this pat are added two or three rolls in the manner already described. When it is desired to turn the vessel, the board upon which it rests is turned. The board is either held in the lap or rests on the top of a low stool. In scraping and shaping the vessel one potter began to use the kajepe on the exterior first, then proceeded to the interior; another reversed the process. The stroke on the exterior is vertical at the corners and nearly horizontal on the sides; on the interior it is nearly horizontal. When the building of the vessel has been completed, the rim is smoothed, and the corners

made straight. The bowl may be pressed lightly between the hands to improve the symmetry and to make all the corners more nearly right angles; it is then set aside for a while.

The next step is the construction of the terraced ends. A single short roll is attached to the interior of the rim at one end. This roll is pressed flat, and smoothed with the kajepe, first on the interior and then on the exterior. The sharp edges are softened, the rim is smoothed, and the junctions of this new portion with the sides are rounded off. The result is a flattened semicircular vertical projection at the end (see fig. 7, a). The other end is then treated in the same manner. The bowl is now ready to have the terraces put in. There are two methods of doing this. One potter uses a long string in making the first marks. The string is stretched taut horizontally, parallel to the length of the bowl. It is then pressed lightly on both ends at the same time, first on one side of the centre, then on the other. The distance between the hands is next shortened, and two notches are cut on either side of the centre of the end with this string, which is still held horizontally. Similar notches are cut in the other end. Each end of the bowl is now as shown in fig. 7, b. Another potter does not make the initial marks in the two ends simultaneously. Holding the end of the bowl towards her, she lightly marks the lines to be cut with her fingernail. Then, picking up the string and following the marks made by her fingernail, the notches are cut in the way described.

As soon as the notches have been cut, the small triangular pieces of clay are removed, the edges rounded with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, and the corners made into curves. Small pellets of clay may be added if necessary. After a few finishing touches with the forefinger the terracing of the ends of the bowl is completed (see fig. 7, c).[34]

The time consumed by the swiftest potter of the village, in moulding an unusually large prayer-meal bowl, is recorded in Table V. The piece was seven and a half inches long, four and three-quarters inches wide, and three and a half inches high. The terraces raised the ends one and three-quarters inches more.

TABLE V

_Min._ _Sec._

00.00 -- First handful of paste for the bowl picked up

08.00 -- Two rolls put on the pat and flattened, the rim smoothed and interior scraping begun (exterior scraping done later)

22.00 -- Moulding of the bowl itself completed, after some time spent in pressing down the pat on the interior of the bowl. Vessel set aside

22.00 -- _Time out_

22.00 -- Interior and exterior smoothing begun

26.00 -- Paste picked up for roll to be placed on one end of bowl

29.45 -- Roll flattened and smoothing of edges begun

30.30 -- Interior scraping begun

31.10 -- Exterior scraping begun

31.45 -- Smoothing of connection with sides begun

32.30 -- Roll placed on other end

33.45 -- Roll flattened and interior scraping begun

34.15 -- Exterior scraping begun

34.45 -- Very small roll placed on first end to improve curve, followed by a little smoothing with kajepe

35.45 -- Finishing of end begun

37.30 -- Marking of one end with fingernail begun

38.15 -- Notches cut with thread, pieces removed, and finishing of terrace begun

40.15 -- Marking of other end with fingernail begun

40.35 -- Cutting of notches with thread begun

41.05 -- Pieces removed and finishing of terrace begun

43.15 -- Finishing completed

DOUBLE-MOUTHED VASES

The first step in the construction of this type of vessel is the moulding of an open-mouthed bowl. Across the mouth of this bowl a clay bridge is placed. Finishing touches are given at this stage of the work, just as if the moulding had been entirely completed. The piece is set aside for a while to stiffen.

Later, additional rolls are added to each half of the mouth of the bowl by attaching them to the rim proper and also to the bridge. In this way two necks are gradually built up. At regular intervals the work is set aside to stiffen in order that it may support the additional weight to be added. The shape and height of the two necks depend entirely upon the whim of the potter. The moulding of the upper parts of the two necks is a delicate process, and requires considerable skill. The roll-marks on the interior of the neck, if obliterated at all, are destroyed by the fingers only, since the diameter of the neck is too small to permit the use of a kajepe. After the moulding has been entirely finished, a handle connecting the two necks is usually put across the top at right angles to the bridge which forms the base of the necks. Obviously this handle has a structural as well as ornamental purpose.[35]

HANDLES

In all cases in which handles are to be applied the vessel is entirely finished before they are put on. The potters of San Ildefonso make three types of handles: (1) passing across the top of an open-mouthed bowl, (2) attached vertically to the side of a vessel, (3) attached horizontally to the side of a vessel. All three types consist of a short roll of paste of the proper length, usually somewhat smaller in diameter than the rolls used in the body of the vessel. This roll is slightly flattened before it is applied.

The first two types of handles are placed on the vessel in the same manner. The ends of the flattened roll are pinched still flatter. In the case of the handle over the top of a bowl, first one end of the roll, then the other, is attached by pressure to the exterior of the rim. The vertical handle on the side of a vessel is attached first to the exterior of the rim, then bent over and attached to the side just above the shoulder. The left hand is used as a stop on the inside of the vessel in order that the shape of the side may not be altered by the pressure exerted in applying the handle. The junction-lines between the handle and the vessel are then obliterated with the forefinger of the right hand. Small pellets of paste may be added to the side of the contacts, especially on the inner side of the handle where it makes an acute angle with the side of the bowl. In this way the welding is made solid, and the curves regular. Finally the curve of the handle itself is made symmetrical. A few finishing touches, such as the obliterating of fine cracks in the handle and the smoothing of its surface, complete the process. Such a handle may be constructed in three to five minutes.

Horizontal handles are attached to the sides of vessels in an entirely different manner, being keyed or riveted in, rather than merely welded on. Handles of this type are usually put on in pairs. The position of one handle is chosen and the rim of the finished pot is marked to show its location; by sighting across the top of the vessel a point exactly opposite is also marked to give the location of the other. For each handle two holes, about three-eighths of an inch in diameter and fairly close together, are cut through the side of the vessel from the exterior with a small stick. One end of the roll which is to form the handle is inserted in one of the two holes. Then the other end is similarly inserted. The left hand holds the first end in place on the interior, while the other end is being put in (pl. 17, b). Next the junctions between the ends of the roll and the interior surface of the vessel are smoothed over and obliterated with the fingers of the right hand. The handle itself is flattened a little, and small pellets of paste are added at the junctions between it and the exterior of the vessel. These are smoothed over with the fingers, so that superficially the handle looks as if it had been pressed upon the surface in the same manner as a vertical handle. A smoothing of curves, and touching up of the handles to make them symmetrical, form the last stage of the construction. It took one potter just an hour to place a pair of handles of this type on a globular bowl.[36]

SUN-DRYING

The purpose of sun-drying is to allow the vessels to harden, and to remove all moisture before the work on them is completed. During sun-drying, which immediately follows moulding, the ability of the vessels to withstand some heat is also tested. Pieces made of improperly mixed clay are eliminated at this stage of the work, because of the cracks which develop (see under Temper, p. 21). The length of time allowed for sun-drying depends upon the weather and also upon the place where the vessels are exposed.

During the dry months of the year, notably in May and June, vessels placed in the sun will dry completely in less than a day, often in half a day (pl. 18, a). In the fall it requires an entire day under the same conditions. When the sky is cloudy or showers threaten, the drying is done in the house. If time is not pressing, the pots are placed on a table, or in the corner of the room, and allowed to remain there three or more days. At the end of that time they are usually sufficiently dry. Vessels moulded one afternoon and placed on the table for the night are dry enough the following morning to permit lifting them from the pukis, which can then be used again. If, during cloudy weather, the potter desires to dry the vessels quickly, they are placed in the oven of the small wood-stove with which most San Ildefonso houses are nowadays equipped. Sometimes a piece of corrugated cardboard from a carton is placed on the floor of the oven, the door of which is left open to allow the evaporating moisture to escape. Only a low fire is built in the stove, for a hot one would cause the vessels to dry too quickly. Under such treatment a batch of pottery can be dried in two days, more or less. The length of time depends very largely upon the number of pieces to be dried, for the potter tries to keep all the vessels at about the same stage of drying; this of course requires frequent relays in the oven. The most common, and most natural, method, however, is to place the vessels in the sun and, when showers threaten, to carry them hurriedly into the house. In this way pottery is dried in a day or a day and a half. The loss of moisture in the paste changes its color from a dark reddish or greyish brown to a light reddish or whitish grey, and in the early stages the variations in the color of the paste serve as indications of the dryness of the vessel. Later the color-change is very difficult to detect. Various parts of the vessel dry at different rates; the rim always first, then the body, and last the base, both because it is thicker and because it is usually in the shadow of the vessel itself; in spite of this the vessels are never inverted while they are drying.

The occurrence of cracks in the paste is the only form of accident which takes place during drying. There are three sorts of cracks: those in the bottom of the vessel, which usually pass through or very near the centre of the base; rim-cracks; and vertical cracks in the body. All are caused by the contraction of the paste in drying. The part of the vessel which receives the greatest strain is the base, which,

a. Vessels on their base-moulds drying in the sun; the pottery is always thoroughly sun-dried after it is moulded and before it is decorated.

b. Summer house of Antonita Roybal, a woman who specializes in the manufacture of large red ollas: a row of these may be seen drying before the house.]

because of the amount of paste in it, has a tendency to contract more than the bottom of the side. The next greatest strain is at the bottom of the side, where the paste must adjust itself to the contraction in the base as well as to that in the body of the vessel. The body and lip have the least strain, for the contraction may be compensated for by a slight settling of the paste. It is in the base, therefore, that cracks usually occur, and then near the centre of it, since that is the point of greatest strain. The size and quantity of the cracks are an indication of the amount of temper still needed to make the paste of just the right consistency. If there are many small cracks, or a single serious one, the piece may be discarded entirely, to be broken up later, and re-used in moulding. If a crack is not serious, it is filled as follows. With a small sliver of wood, or the end of a case-knife, the paste on the edge of the crack is forced down into it, first on the interior and then on the exterior; little pellets of paste are then added and pressed into the crack until it is filled. Final smoothing with the finger or the kajepe completes the obliteration.

Small vertical cracks near the base of the body probably also indicate faulty mixture of the paste. The potters, however, say that these fine cracks are caused by a vessel’s drying too quickly in the sun, and insist that if it had been allowed to dry slowly in the house, they would not have appeared. Such cracks are too fine and too numerous to warrant the careful filling of each one; so accordingly the surface is merely dampened, some soft paste is added and rubbed in with the fingers or the kajepe.

Cracks running downward from the rim are exceedingly rare. The women of San Ildefonso make no attempt to repair them, but occasionally cut down the vessel to a smaller size. In the single instance noted[37] the crack was first traced downward from the rim until its end was located upon the neck, then the upper part of the neck was cut off below the end of the crack. It was thus possible to use the base of the olla as a large bowl. A line parallel with the rim was marked about the circumference of the neck with a lead-pencil. This line was incised with a penknife, and gone over again in order to deepen it. A second line was incised around the neck about three-sixteenths of an inch nearer the rim. Then the paste between these two lines was dug out with great care, forming a V-shaped groove (pl. 20, a). This groove was cut through about one-half the thickness of the wall all the way around the neck. Then at one point the wall was pierced, and, from there around, the groove was deepened by long and short strokes of a knife pulled toward the body until the wall had been cut through for about three-fifths of the circumference. The remainder broke away easily. The raw surface of the new rim was then softened by the application of water and smoothed with the fingers. The potter said this was the usual method of treating a rim crack.

SCRAPING

The purpose of this process is twofold, to improve the surface of the vessel by removing the marks left by the kajepe and the puki, and to thin the sides, thus reducing the weight of the finished piece. It is usually begun the day following the completion of the moulding and sun-drying, unless other duties, such as planting, harvesting, and the like, force a postponement. Large vessels such as ollas are allowed to dry nearly forty-eight hours before they are scraped. At San Ildefonso vessels are made in quantities ranging from a dozen to fifty pieces. The moulding and drying of the entire group, a process which may extend over a period of several days, is entirely finished before the scraping is begun.

There are three steps in the scraping: the wetting, the actual scraping, and the smoothing of the surface. The implements employed are a wet cloth and a scraper. The latter is either the top of a baking-powder can, or a kitchen case-knife. The can-top seems to be the more popular because it may be used on nearly any type of curve on the vessel. The informants said that their people formerly used potsherds, stones, or broken animal-bones as scrapers, in fact anything that had a suitable edge; the potsherds were sharpened and straightened by rubbing them on coarse sandstone.

When the vessel is brought in from drying, it is easily lifted from the puki, since the layer of ashes or temper prevents sticking. A small olla or bowl is held upon the left knee, with the mouth tilted to the left and away from the body. A bowl is held with the left hand, the fingers on the interior, the thumb on the exterior of the lip. The exterior surface of the vessel is then softened by wiping it with a wet rag. This step is omitted by some potters always, by others only when the vessel needs a small amount of scraping. The scraping itself is begun while the surface is still damp. The scraper first touches the vessel near the shoulder. The work then continues toward the base by means of short, quick strokes taken toward the body. As the work advances the upper part of the bowl is turned away from the body, that is, the vessel turns counterclockwise. When the ridges marking the former position of the edge of the puki are being destroyed, care is taken to keep the curve of the side uniform from the base to the shoulder. If the scraping discloses an impurity, such as a stone fragment in the paste, it is removed; the resulting irregularity is filled with a pinch of soft paste, and smoothed over. The strokes of the scraper are usually approximately parallel to the rim of the vessel. The upper part is scraped as far as the surface remains convex. In bowls the scraping is done to the very rim. In both large and small ollas with flaring lip, the scraping continues only to the base of the flare. The interiors of vessels, even of wide-mouthed bowls, are never scraped. When a bowl requires little scraping to make the surface uniform, it may be finished in from three to five minutes. Those which are too

a. Scraping an olla after sun-drying; the implement used is an ordinary kitchen case-knife.

b. Scraping; the dark part of the olla has just been moistened to soften the clay.]

heavy, and therefore need thinning, take considerably longer. It may even be necessary to moisten the surface a second time. The potters judge the proper thickness of the bowls by weighing them in the two hands with the elbows unsupported.

Large ollas, while being scraped, are held in the lap, with the mouth inclined to the left and away from the body. The left hand supporting the olla is placed palm down upon the neck (pl. 19, b). Because of the extent of surface to be gone over only that part of the olla about to be scraped is moistened with the cloth. When a case-knife is used instead of a can-top, it is held either at right angles to the surface worked or at an angle of about sixty degrees with the surface, the upper edge of the knife tilted away from the body (pl. 19, a). In all vessels, bowls as well as ollas, the angle with the horizontal made by the mouth varies considerably, according to the part of the vessel being scraped. After the scraping proper is completed, one potter sometimes rubs the surface, including the rim and lip, with a little steel wool, which noticeably improves the smoothness. The final step is to go over the entire surface carefully with the palm of the right hand in search of irregularities or small uneven spots.