Autumn Borts-Medlock’s effigy parrots have certainly become a signature piece of her pottery. The parrots are coil-built, then carved, and stone polished. Autumn brought in this parrot, and it is carved with 30 flowers! If you consider that each flower has four polished sections, there are 120 polished areas just in the flowers on this piece! The beak is also fully polished, which is more time-consuming and difficult.  The background area is slipped with mica.  The piece was traditionally fired a deep black coloration.  It is very complex in imagery and creative in form.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Autumn Borts-Medlock, 2022”.

So, why so many parrots on Pueblo and Hopi pottery?   In the pre-contact era, there was a small parrot that was indigenous to the southwest area.  As well, parrot feathers were traded with Central American tribes and were highly valued. Today there are Parrot Clans at Hopi and parrot feathers are used throughout the Pueblo world in various ceremonies and dances.  So, it is not unexpected to see parrots featured on pottery from the various pueblos and Hopi.  They are certainly part of the cultural and historic background of these amazing potters!