Calvin Analla Jr.

Laguna Pueblo

Calvin Analla Jr.

Born in 1960, Calvin Analla Jr. is a traditional Laguna Pueblo potter from the village of Paguate (about eight miles north of Old Laguna). He started creating his style of pottery in 1990 while observing his paternal grandmother, Evelyn Cheromiah, and his aunt, Lee Ann Cheromiah.

He harvests his clay from local Laguna sources and molds and shapes his pots using the traditional hand-coil method. He polishes by rubbing smooth river stones against the damp pottery. The black paint is processed from cooking wild spinach and adding crushed hematite, a rock mineral. The process is finished by firing in red cedar and sheep manure in a fire pit.

One day in his workshop Calvin ran out of clay. His brother-in-law, Hopi potter Steve Lucas, was visiting so Calvin asked him for a handful of Hopi clay. Steve gave it to him and the results led to a series of experiments combining the clays of Hopi and Laguna. That is what gave birth to Calvin's signature marbled look. His pottery is also differentiated by his thin walls, scalloped edges and fine painted lines.