Juanita Fragua

Zia Relations

It is so good to see old pots. I have been making pottery since I was a young girl, but when I first visited the SAR collection, I was so overwhelmed, I nearly cried. I had never seen older Jemez and Zia pots! So many decades ago, I learned pottery from my mother, who was Jemez and Zia. My mother had learned from my grandmother, who was from Zia Pueblo. Back then, I started out as a helper for my family as they made pots to sell to the trading posts. I chose this piece because it reminds me of those old times. The designs are simple but beautiful. There is a smoke cloud on the outside of the jar, which indicates that it went through an outdoor firing.