In addition to making pots and other vessels, using methods and materials as closely identical as possible to how pottery would have been produced on the Virginia frontier during the late eighteenth century, our potter here at Pricketts Fort, Michael Ray, is also involved in researching and re-creating pottery as it would have been made by Native Americans in this region during the same period.
Recently, using local (southern Pennsylvania) red clay — strengthed with a mixture of oyster shell, sopastone dust, lime and bits of previously-fired pots — Michael attempted to build and fire a native-style pot. Here he is shown in the early stages of the process. The bottom quarter or so is formed first, using the “pinch” method. Once the base is formed, the remainder of the pot is built up gradually, using a succession of finger-sized ropes of clay which are laid one on top of the other like stacked rings. They are “glued” into place with “slip”, which is simply a thick broth of dissolved clay in water which effectively binds the individual rings together.
The joined rings are then smoothed by hand, inside and out.
Michael narrows the pot in the upper half to form a kind of neck, then flares it out again at the top rim.
Once the building of the pot was completed, it needed to air dry thoroughly before it could be safely fired. Given the high humidity at the time Michael was building this pot, and which continued for several more days, the drying process was very slow.
When the pot was sufficiently dry to be fired, Michael attempted to fire it using a Native method, namely placing the pot beside a simple banked fire. The result? It fell completely apart.
Michael has years of skill using a variety of kilns, but using an open fire may be the most difficult method of all, involving a whole set of new factors and complications. Michael says he intends to give it another try in the near future.
Good try. Let us know when you figure it out. Ill bet the natives were not successful the first time.
Bill