Jar

Potter Gladys Paquin was a key driver of the revival of Laguna Pueblo pottery in the late 20th century. This jar is the result of Paquin’s research into ancestral Pueblo designs from both Laguna and Zuni, the latter being her mother’s ancestral home. Paquin typically created her designs in black, white, and red, as in this example. She fired her pots in the open air, using wood and dung as fuel.

Pottery making in Laguna Pueblo had almost died in the mid-twentieth century when Gladys Paquin began making pots in 1980. Her work brings a fresh, new look to the historic forms and images of her pueblo as she decorates the traditional shaped ollas, bowls and canteens with combinations of original designs inspired by her life. These incorporate Laguna Pueblo motifs with Zuni, the home of her mother. This blending has led to a unique style. Each piece is made entirely from natural materials by hand using traditional methods of clay construction-coil method, decoration -painted using vegetal and mineral pigments and open air firing using cow chips and cedar wood in an outdoor kiln.