Pottery • Horsehair And Feather Pottery

While the precise origins of the technique are uncertain, it began appearing in the last century on Pueblo hand-built, burnished pottery.

Each piece begins on the wheel, where I throw, trim, and smooth the form until it feels complete. Instead of burnishing, I apply thin layers of terra sigillata—a finely refined clay slip—and polish the surface until it becomes soft and luminous.

After bisque firing, the pots are reheated to nearly 1000°F and removed from the kiln by my brilliant (and apparently heat-proof) husband. In that brief window of intense heat, I lay horsehair and feathers across the surface. They burn away instantly, leaving behind delicate carbon imprints and smoke.
When cool, the residue is cleaned off, the pot is then polished with a beeswax polish.

These pots are not watertight (will not hold water) and should not be kept in direct sunlight