Shapes and Forms: Miniatures

Miniatures have played a role in the Pueblo pottery world for more than 100 years. It may not seem as though they are as hard to create as larger pottery but the detail some potters put on their miniatures can make them be as time-consuming.

However, Art Cody (Haungooah, Kiowa married into Santa Clara) once said, "I can make twice the amount of money by making miniatures. There's a bigger demand for miniatures and they're not that time consuming because there's a smaller area to work with. The larger pieces you put more time into it, and then if they do sell you've got to sit back and wait for a buyer to come in." But Art was at the top of his form when he spoke that and most of what he produced found its way to eager buyers before the dealers could get in between.

The official SWAIA miniature designation means the piece is less than 3 1/4 inches in its greatest dimension.