In 1969 Mary was married to Simon Small.  The Small's live in the
Jemez Pueblo.  Simon, a designer and jeweler in the San Felipe tradition
of heshemaking, and Mary decided to work on making pottery together.

Mary makes pottery as her mother taught her, forming each piece by
the coiling method, using clays dug on the Jemez land, mixing the clay
with a temper of fine sand and smoothing the pottery with a piece of
dried gourd until the surface is absolutely smooth.  After the clay is
thoroughly dry, she fires the piece outdoors over hot coals.  The Small's
pottery has been noteworthy for its white and gray designs on a light
red base since 1976, the year they developed their own technique for
making the gray glaze.

Each piece of pottery has some turquoise since the turquoise comes
from the mountains.  The turquoise means protection for the mountains.
The steps are kiva steps that go into the sacred place where they
meditate.  The feathers are what are worn on the costumes as well as
prayers-prayer feathers.

Pottery making is a continued prayer in her life.  She explains, "I ask
a blessing for each stage.  When they are finished, they are blessed.
They have power.  Whoever buys the pottery should have a nice home,
a happy life and a sacred object, because there are a lot of prayers
in my pottery."  We have three storytellers made by the Smalls available
for purchase.

Click Here for a larger photograph of our Storyteller.

Source:  Southwest Profile