Culture: Mimbres Coil Pot
GRADE / AGE
3rd-8th grade
TEACHING GOALS/OBJECTIVES
Students will learn about the elaborate geometric
shapes and animal narrative images of the classic
Mimbres Black and White pottery. Students will
also learn about the Mimbres culture and the burial
rituals associated with Mimbres pottery.
TECHNIQUES / SKILLS
Making a coil pot in a bowl slump mold, smoothing and blending a coil at the joint,
smoothing edges, application of underglaze, creating a design based on several
examples of that genre, sgraffitto.
LESSON LENGTH
1 class, approx. 1hour & 20 minutes
MATERIALS
• Whiteware clay
• newspaper
• slip
• forks
• black underglaze
• small dishes
• skewers
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paper
pencil
small and large brushes
canvas
water buckets
cutting wire
sponges
BACKGROUND
The pottery produced in the Mimbres region, often finely painted bowls, is distinct in style
and is decorated with geometric designs and figurative paintings of animals, people and
cultural icons in black paint on a white background. Some of these images suggest
familiarity and relationships with cultures in northern and central Mexico. The elaborate
decoration indicates that these people enjoyed a rich ceremonial life. Early Mimbres
Black-on-white pottery, called Boldface Black-on-White (now called Mimbres Style I), is
primarily characterized by bold geometric designs, although there are also a few early
examples of human and animal figures. Over time, both geometric and figurative designs
became increasingly sophisticated and diverse. Classic Mimbres Black-on-White pottery
(Style III) is characterized by elaborate geometric designs, refined brushwork, including
very fine line work, and may include figures of one or more animals, humans, or other
images bounded either by simple rim bands or by geometric decoration. Birds figure
prominently on Mimbres pots, including images such as turkeys feeding on insects and a
man trapping birds in a garden; fish are also common.
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Have students draw out designs for their bowls. Roll out coils to lie on the inside of the
bowl. Coils should be about 1/2" in diameter. Place a sheet of newspaper inside the bowl
so that the clay bowl won't get stuck to the bowl. Start laying the coils into the bowl. Use
fingers to smooth the coils. Make sure the inside of the bowl is completely smooth, this
way the coils will be connected. Have students paint their design onto the inside of the
bowl with black underglaze. Student can use skewers to create sgraffitto designs.
LINKS
http://www.ancestral.com/cultures/north_america/mimbres.html
http://anthropology.si.edu/cm/mimbres.htm
http://www.incredibleart.org/files/mimbres.htm
WHICH VISUAL ARTS CONTENT STANDARDS (VACS) AND BENCHMARKS (B)
WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THIS LESSON AND HOW?
CATEGORIES
Culture, North America
IMAGES