The pottery of Santa Ana Pueblo /

This definitive, scholarly volume describes the pueblo pottery of Santa Ana, a small New Mexican village. Ritual and everyday pots from the Pueblo of Santa Ana are distinctive and yet provide the insight for this original, groundbreaking investigation into the origins and evolution of all pueblo pottery from first historic contacts (c. 1450) into the 20th century. Santa Ana design styles are identified and compared with those of other pueblo traditions, offering new insight into the origins of style and technique among pueblo potters and furnishing criteria for dating vessels from any time period and any pueblo, despite wide cultural and linguistic differences. The pots are from museum collections around the world. Distinguished contemporary Santa Ana potters are recognized for expert skills as well as for persistence in keeping ancient traditions alive since 1925, the virtual end of pot making for local use. Pot making is now a matter of individual expression as art pottery, some of which can be functional. The volume offers 350 color illustrations, appendixes with charts of design evolution, lists of potters living and deceased, museum collection information, and an extensive list for further reading. It is suitable for a wide audience, from ceramic specialists and museum staff to travelers, archaeologists, and students. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All levels. A. Wirkkala New Hampshire Technical Institute