Charmae Shields Natseway

Acoma Pueblo

Acoma Pueblo potter Charmae Natseway
Charmae Natseway

Born in 1958, Charmae Shields Natseway is a traditional potter from Acoma. Or perhaps I should say "contemporary potter from Acoma who uses traditional methods to create her pottery." Charmae is married to Thomas Natseway, the noted Laguna Pueblo maker of miniature pottery.

Charmae learned the traditional way to make pottery from her mother, Ethel Shields, after she returned to Acoma from Tucson in 1976 and needed to be self-employed and earning money quickly. She was a quick study, the family has been long in the pottery-making business. Among Charmae's relatives are aunt Katherine Lewis and cousins Rebecca Lucario, Marilyn Ray, and Diane and Judy Lewis.

Charmae has long been known for her exquisite seed pots but she is also known for her unique forms of lidded/plugged pottery in the shapes of cylinders, pyramids, boxes and flasks, all of superb quality. She said, "I just got tired of seeing the same shapes over and over. A few years ago I made seed pots in a flat, circular form. Now I see them all over the place, so I stopped making them."

She signs her pottery as: "Charmae Shields Natseway, Acoma, N.M.", followed by a corn stalk denoting her clan.

Insect and geometric design on a polychrome lidded box with 2 cutouts
Polychrome lidded square pot with insect and geometric design plus two geometric cutouts
5.25 in H by 6.5 in Dia
Bird and geometric design on a lidded pyramid
Lidded pyramid with bird and geometric design
6 in H by 5.5 in Dia
Parrot and floral design on a polychrome flask
Polychrome flask with parrot and floral design
7 in H by 4 in Dia
Measurement includes corn cob stopper
Mimbres and geometric design on a polychrome lidded pyramid
Polychrome lidded pyramid with Mimbres and geometric design
5.25 in H by 5.25 in Dia
Northwest Coast Native designs on a polycrhrome lidded box with cutouts
Polychrome lidded box with cuttouts and Northwest Coast Native designs
8.75 in H by 3.25 in Dia
Deer, floral and geometric design on a lidded trinagular polychrome box
Lidded triangular polychrome box decorated with deer, floral and geometric designs
7.5 in H by 4.5 in Dia
Warrior figures and geometric designs on a lidded polychrome pyramid
Lidded polychrome pyramid decorated with warrior figures and geometric designs
4.75 in H by 4.75 in Dia
Bird and floral design on a polychrome flask
Polychrome flask decorated with a bird and floral design
7.25 in H by 3.25 in Dia
Measurement includes corn cob stopper
Mimbres animal and geometric design on a polychrome lidded pyramid box
Polychrome lidded pyramid box decorated with a Mimbres animal and geometric design
3.75 in H by 5.25 in Dia
Parrot and floral design on a polychrome flask
Polychrome flask decorated with parrot and floral design
7 in H by 3.5 in Dia Measurement includes corn cob stopper
Mimbres bird and checkerboard design on a polychrome pyramid
Lidded polychrome pyramid decorated with a Mimbres-style bird and checkerboard design
5.75 in H by 7 in Dia
Mimbres design and geometric cutouts on a polychrome lidded box
Tall polychrome lidded box decorated with Mimbres figures and geometric cutouts
9.25 in H by 3.75 in Dia
Geometric design on a lidded black and white double box
Lidded black and white double box decorated with a geometric design
7 in H by 6 in Dia
Mimbres fish design on a polychrome flask
Polychrome flask decorated with a Mimbres fish design
7.25 in H by 4 in Dia
Measurement includes corn cob stopper
Northwest Coast and geometric design on a polychrome lidded box
Polychrome lidded box decorated with a Northwest Coast and geometric design
5 in H by 6.75 in Dia
Cloudeater, fish and geometric design on a polychrome lidded round box
Polychrome lidded round box decorated with a cloudeater, fish and geometric design
3 in H by 3.75 in Dia