Navajo Nation
The Vail Family is well known for their contemporary style of pottery
known as “horse hair”.
Tom Vail married into the Navajo Nation. He, along with his children
William “Skeeter” Vail, Loveitha Vail-Sanchez, and their
spouses Geraldine Vail and Ray Sanchez produce this style of pottery.
Tom was born in 1933. Skeeter was born in 1961, his wife, Gerie, was
born in 1960, and Loveitha was born in 1967.
They pour a ceramic white slip substance into a mold and it foms itself
into whatever shape of pot that they decide on making. Then, they pour
out the excess slip and let it set to dry. The ceramicware is then cleaned
and polished.
They heat up the ceramicware in a kiln and then randomly toss authentic
hair taken from the mane (thin lines) or the tail (thick lines) of a
horse on the heated pottery. The resulting carbon being drawn into the
surface of the pot creates the wonderful designs and patterns. Finally,
they clean the finished pottery with a dry material and the finished
product is a unique marblized flare styled pot.
This process of art is very hazardous and time consuming. When asked
why they do this they all agreed and replied “We enjoy not knowing
what designs will form on the pot itself after the horse hair has burned
into the pot.”
They sign their pottery as: Skeeter & Gerie Vail, Vail, and Loveitha
Vail-Sanchez.