Micaceous Pottery

Micaceous pottery is recognized for its sparkling, bronze-like finish.  The rare clay containing mica is found in the mountains located northeast of our Village.  Our source of clay was in danger of being mined out by a large mining company taking advantage of an archaic mining law, but in recent times through a lengthy legal battle Picuris has been able to reacquire its land and source of clay.

It is a lengthy process to make raw clay into workable clay, taking from 1 1/2 to 3 weeks.  First you must soak the clay until it dissolves, then go through a series of steps to remove any debris.  It is essential for successful firing that the clay be pure or it will pop while firing.  When pure, you knead the clay like bread dough, then begin to coil and mold into your shape, using a corn cob to smooth it out.

The clay is cured in a fire pit, a small crater dug into the earth.  Pots are set upside down on a grill, then covered with bark which is lit to fire the pots.  When you are done you have beautiful strong and sparkling pots.  These pots are used for cooking and ceremony, and are said to enhance the flavor of food.

The Tewa Indians sometimes copied the style of Picuris and Taos but used a different clay and temper. At Taos and Picuris the clay is formed of decayed pre-Cambrian schist, filled with abundant flecks of mica throughout, while the Tewa achieved the same metallic luster by coating their clay with a thick, glittery finish.

Micaceous Pot by Cora Duran


Micaceous Pot by Francis Martinez


Micaceous Pots by Cheryl Archuleta