Horse Hair Pottery

Pottery has been a part of Navajo culture for hundreds of years. Initially used for carrying water and storing food, pottery has evolved into an art. Navajo horse hair pottery is another artistic twist in traditional pottery making. The potter crafts the mane and tail hair from a horse into the pottery and then skillfully fires it in a kiln. The fine lines come from the hair from the mane and the thicker lines come from the tail. Once the potter fires the clay in the kiln, the pot becomes rock polished. These one-of-a-kind pieces are decorative representations of a Navajo art form practiced and taught by generations of potters. Like all handmade items, no two pieces of pottery are exactly alike, so the picture you see may not match the exact pottery piece you receive. While once used for practical purposes, we now recommend using these pottery pieces only for decoration.