Turtle Pierced Pot

Handmade by Mi'kmaq/Wampanoag artist Nancy E. Oakley.

Raised in Mashpee, Massachusetts, Nancy now lives and works on the Eskasoni First Nation reserve in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Using clay harvested from mother earth, her process is a collaboration with the land. Through softly curved pottery forms created by hand and on the wheel, Nancy creates culturally significant pieces imbued with her spiritual and traditional knowledge.

Each individual pot is burnished with a river stone until it gets a natural shine. It is then smoked in a traditional firing, using fir tips, seaweed and/or sawdust. When the clay gets warm enough in the fire, it absorbs the smoke, giving a beautiful smokey design, unique to each piece. The piece is then trimmed with sweetgrass, a native American plant used for purification and prayer.

Dampen the sweetgrass to renew the sweet aroma.

• Measures approximately 5.5" W x 4.5" H
• Each piece is signed and dated on the bottom