A Small Change in Plans

It started with a postcard. Or at least this latest incarnation did. I love southwest pottery. A piece here, a piece there. The first were cheap, affordable. Gradually I got fussier, more discerning. Eventually I discovered Acoma, the more detailed the better. But then there was the postcard, showing several high end pieces of Hopi pottery. A museum collection. I blew a whole quarter on it, mounted it on the fridge, and began a new obsession.

On the trip home from Arizona I took a few breaks at spots selling pottery, scoping out what was available. Not much, and nothing I was interested in. No Hopi. No budget either, so no big problem.

Come X-mas, and a gift card arrived for a major chain store. I decided to make a swap. Put the card against the staples budget, and devote the funds not taken from bank funds towards a small piece of Hopi pottery. I'd been scoping the internet and found a growing appreciation for the artistry (and prices!) and a few items within that budget. One, my favorite, was in an eBay auction, and several others on the site at firm prices.

It was not to be. The auction went way over my budget. There were issues with the little pieces, such as just how little they were. Ever heard of an ant pot? Just a bit bigger than a thimble, used by filling with honey and placing somewhere you wanted ants to be rather than where you and your food were. Other pieces were a hair bigger but the painting was sloppy when looked at carefully. And they were only a hair bigger. I decided not to part with my money.

Yet.

On a whim, I checked out another favorite site, Amazon.com. They had a couple pieces way over my budget. No go. But they also had several books on Hopi pottery, as well as other kinds of southwest pottery. (Note to self: check out Mata Ortiz. And find a bigger budget and/or more patience.) At any rate, the books I could afford, in used versions. Once they arrive I can spend some time researching, appreciating, and deciding what I really want while I wait for the budget to catch up.

Just a small change in plans.