7/30/2019 Sherds_2010-2

1/10

SherdsApril-June 2010 e-EDITION

continued on page 3

The Shipibo-Conibo are two culturally and linguistically relatedgroups who live along the Ucayali River in eastern Peru. Theirlocation at the edge of the rivers oodplain gives them access tofertile agricultural land and plentiful sh and game species thatthrive in the river bottom. Most live in small communities, withliving compounds of extended families or clans (related throughthe female line). Their houses are made of thatch and wood,constructed without walls to permit the cooling breezes to owthrough.

Shipibo-Conibo women make beadwork and textiles, but areprobably best known for their pottery, decorated with maze-likegeometric patterns. While these ceramics were traditionally madefor use in the home, an expanding tourist market has providedmany households with extra income through the sale of pots andother craft items.

Shipibo-Conibo Ceramics

Beer Fermenting Vessel, ca. 1965Shipibo-Conibo

Ucayali River, Perupainted ceramic

7/30/2019 Sherds_2010-2

2/10

Sherds

2010 Events

Directions

Herron Foundation

Board of Directors

Linda Bell, CPA

Donald Herron, President

Janet Herron, Secretary

Quintus Herron, Vice President

John Ramsey

Jerry Shinn, Mayor of Idabel

Sallie Webb

Jack Tucker, Treasurer

Idabel Museum Society

Board of Directors

Dr. Robert Brooks

Bruce King, Vice President

Carolynn Neal

Judy Petre, President

John Ramsey

Dr. Lewis Stiles, Treasurer

Sallie Webb

Museum of the Red RiverStaff

Henry Moy, Director

Daniel L. Vick, Keeper of Collections

and Associate Curator

G. Paulette LaGasse, Program

Curator

L. Sue Coffman, Ofce Manager

Patti Harris, Assistant to the Director

for Community Relations

Dr. Mario Rivera, Curatorial

AssociateSherron Mitchell, Receptionist and

Gift Shop Manager

Jeff Smith, Museum Assistant

Brian Hendershot, Museum

Assistant

May 25 Arts of the Amazon exhibit opens

May 29 Loom Beading Workshop with DavidDean, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

June 6- 11 Teen Camp Archaeology

June 11 The Latest in OklahomaArchaeology with Dr. AmandaRegnier, 7 p.m.

June 21-July 2 Summer Explorers Day Camp Amazon Experience

July 2 Arts of the Amazon An ExhibitWalk Through with Amazon ExplorerMichael Bernstein, 7 p.m.

July 8 Paleo Pals

July 20-22 Allen Graffham Dino Camp ACROand Friends, 10 a.m. - noon

July 24 Basket Workshop with Linda Lou

July 27 Precolumbian West MexicanCeramics exhibit opens

August 12 West Mexican Ceramics with ChrisBeekman & Bob Pickering, 7 p.m.

September 9 Paleo Pals

September 12 Family FUN-atics

September 18 Masters of the Art: BasketmakingSeminar/Workshop with MarshallGettys, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sept. 28Visions in Stone

exhibit opens

The economy continues to negatively impact American society, and whilethe Museum of the Red River remains able to operate as usual manyof our supporters and institutional partners are forced to endure cutbacksin lifestyle and programming. We are responding as best we can, re-

negotiating payments on pledges, lending equipment and xtures we donot normally let off premises, eliminating facilities rental and other fees forstruggling non-prots, etc.

Meanwhile, we are looking for ways to stretch what dollars we do have.One way is to share resources through exchange of services. One example

is our close collaboration in recent years with the MabeeGerrer Museum of Art (MGMOA)in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Institutions of similar size and complementary collections, boththe Museum of the Red River and MGMOA have benetted by sharing objects and exhibits.They contributed to our 2008 Kiowa Five exhibit, while we provided an exhibit of Amazonian

featherwork. They lent us their Roman period Egyptian mummy in 2008, and Japanese armorin 2009, complementing our Summer Explorers programs. We look forward to extending ourefforts this year. The Museum will be borrowing shrunken heads (collected in the early 20thcentury, in the Amazon) this summer, again to augment our Summer Explorers program.MGMOA will be borrowing an exhibit of Precolumbian textiles from the Andes, a collectionsarea we are particularly strong in having. These are the types of partnerships that proverbiallystretch our program dollars.

As evident in our recently issued Biennial Report for 2008 and 2009, the Museum continuesto enjoy strong community support, even in these difcult times. I am very grateful to those

who have maintained their levels of support, and

welcome those new to the cause. Should you haveany questions regarding the Museum, its programs, oranything else, feel free to get in touch.

Henry Moy, Director

7/30/2019 Sherds_2010-2

3/10

Among the Shipibo-Conibo, makingceramics an activity that has occured inthe region for well over a thousand years,according to archaeological investigations

is a womans task. Men may help to gatherclay or other materials, but women are

responsible for cleaning, sculpting,and decorating the clay. Clay is

found within walking distance of

the village and is hand cleanedat the source; large rocks and

other impurities are removedhere. The cleaned material is

taken home (where frequently womenhave their own potting sheds to work in

a distraction free environment), kneadedand puried by soaking in water to acquirea homogenous easily pliable clay. Potters

often wrap it in leaves and store the moistmaterial for up to a year. Careful steps takenin the cleaning process helps to ensure thatcracking does not occur during ring.

When the potter is ready to build the vessel, she adds temper to the clayto improve its strength. The tribe generally uses two basic types of temper;one is made from a silica-containing bark acquired from several varieties oflocal trees. This bark is harvested in strips, charred, ground with a stonemortar and pestle, sifted through a cloth, stored, and used as needed. The

other tempering material is grog consisting of ground potsherds obtainedfrom either broken modern vessels or prehistoric ones. With the tempermixed into the clay, the potter begins the construction process using thecoil method. Long strands of clayare applied to a attened claydisk; when many coils have beenassembled, the potter evens andsmooths the surface with apiece of gourd.

For large vessels,such as the chomo(used for waterstorage orfermentation ofa manioc beer),two or threesections are madeand then pieced

together. The chomooften reaches heights of30 inches. It is a popular shapeand is identied by a bulbousmid-section and a smaller footand mouth; the molded face ofa man frequently appears onthe pots neck.

Collections notes

Shipibo Conibocontinued from cover page

continued on page 4

Storage Vessel, ca. 1995Shipibo-Conibo

Ucayali River, Perupainted ceramic

Gift ofDon Herron, Idabel, OK

Beer Fermenting Vessel, ca. 1965Shipibo-Conibo

Ucayali River, Perupainted ceramic

7/30/2019 Sherds_2010-2

4/10

Collections Notes

Women demonstrate their imaginationand skill by painting the complex designsfound on their ceramics. The shapesof the vessels are relatively standard,but by creating unique designs, thewomen showcase their creativeness.

Many attempt to dream new motifs whileothers seek the guidance of a shaman for

inspiration.The potter rst outlines

individual symmetrical designelds and then paints formlines.Next, parallel lines are drawnon both sides of the form lines;nally, ller work is insertedbetween the parallel lines. Awoman is considered to be a

master when she can skillfullypaint the smallest areas of ller;

the master potter often does this forher less advanced pupils.

After painting, the pot is redand coated. If it is to be usedfor hot foods, it is inverted over asmoldering re, which will producea shiny black surface on the pots

interior, thus sealing the vessel. If not used for heating liquids, theinside of pot is usually coated while thevessel is still warm from ring withsempa, a black resin from the tree of thesame name. A ball of sempa resin isstuck on the end of a manatee, tapir,or cow rib, applied to the warm wallsof the pot and the melting resin coatsthe interior. Finally, a coat of clear

resin known as yomoshonand alsoacquired from a local tree is applied tothe exterior to set the paint and to providea brilliant shine. The lustrous outercoating and the precise paintedgeometric designs are two featuresof that make Shipibo-Conibo potteryattractive to growing numbersof tourists and collecters of ne

ceramics.

Shipibo Conibocontinued from previous page

Jar with Human Efgy, ca. 2000Shipibo-Conibo

Ucayali River, Perupainted ceramic

Storage Vessel, ca. 1975Shipibo-Conibo

Ucayali River, Peru

painted ceramic

7/30/2019 Sherds_2010-2

5/10

Assistant for Community Affairs Patti Harris continues her activevolunteer work with Idabel Main Street and the Friends of theIdabel Public Library.

Program Curator Paulette LaGasse andVolunteer Coordinator Sallie Webb havebeen assisting the Choctaw Nation as theydevelop a childcare center in Durant, OK.

Museum Director Henry Moy spoke to the McCurtain CountyRetired Educators Association. His topic was Travel andLearning: Lessons from the Road. He continues as vicepresident and treasurer of the McCurtain Community Fund,and as a member of the board of directors of the Idabel

Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture.

Keeper of Collections and Associate Curator Daniel L. Vick at-

tended the (Marin) North American Indian Arts and Tribal Artsshows held in San Francisco in February.

Museum founder and major donor Quintus H. Herron has alsomade signicant and extensive gifts of wood art to the Okla-

homa Forest Heritage Center. The collection, one of the nestin the country, complements the Centers other wood art-relatedexhibits and programs. Through the efforts of State SenatorJerry Ellis and Representative Dennis Bailey, the Center wasrecently designated the Wood Art Capital of Oklahomaby theState Legislature.

People

7/30/2019 Sherds_2010-2

6/10

Roger and Tiffany Curtice (Broken Bow,

OK): Quartz crystal and other mineralspecimens (7) found along the GloverRiverJanet Herron and Gamaliel Leyva(Tucson, AZ): Painted splatterceramicvessel by Nicolas Quezada of MataOrtiz, CH, Mexico, ca. 2009

Henry Moy (Idabel, OK): Stylized,painted ceramic human efgy gures (2)by Karaja Peoples of Amazonas, Brazil,contemporary

Tom Ray (Homosassa, FL) and Ken Ray(Dallas, TX): Five (5) large mineral specimens; Gift

In Memory of Their Father, James B. Ray

Black Hills Institute of GeologicalResearch (Hill City, SD): fossilammonite Sphenodiscussplendens from South Dakota;Gift In Memory ofAllenGraffham

Recent Acquisitions

Pyrite Crystal Cluster (Huanzala, Peru); Gift of TomRay (Homosassa Springs, FL) and Ken Ray (Dallas,TX), In Memory of Their Father, James B. Ray

Support(Cash gifts)

Gifts to the General and Programs Fund:Young and Lisa Chin (Westbrook, MA), Quintus H. Herron (Idabel, OK), Caro-lynn Neal (Norman, OK), Mrs. Alice K. Schneider (San Jose, CA), Dr. LewisStiles (Idabel, OK), Bob and Jeannie West (Valliant, OK)

Gift to the Museum Building Fund (Mary H. Herron CommunityConference Center)Parimal and Bhavisha Patel (Idabel, OK)

Memorial GiftsIn Memory ofDorothy West: Bruce and Gwen Willingham, and the Staff of theMcCurtain Daily Gazette and Broken Bow News; Staff of the Museum of the RedRiver

Gifts to the Collections

Dance Mask, Mayo(Mexico); wood, horse hair,metal, Gift of Jeff Kazansky(San Diego, CA)

Mata Ortiz ceramic splatter-ware jar by Nicolas Quezada,Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico;2009, Gift of Jan Herron and GamaLeyva (Tucson, AZ)

7/30/2019 Sherds_2010-2

7/10

Recent Acquisitions

Swan Efgy Figure, MargaretRobbins (Catawba); 2007,ceramic, Museum Purchase

Donkey Efgy Mask (Guerrero, Mexico);painted wood, Gift of Richard Weiss,Tucson, Arizona

Vessel/Jar and Arrow Pipe by Sara Ayers (Cataw-ba-American, 1919-2002), modeled ceramic

Swan Efgy Vessel by Margaret Robbins (Catawba-American, b. 1957), modeled ceramic

Leg Rattles (2), (Oklahoma Creek; late 20th century),leather and pierced-cans

Flute by Hugo Macial (Mata Ortiz, CH, Mexico;2009), modeled and painted ceramic

Baskets (2), (MountainTarahumara of Sonora,

Mexico; 2009), woven grass

Museum Purchases

Gifts to the Research LibraryCarolynn Neal (Norman, OK): Two hundred twenty-two (222) periodicals andother publications pertaining to regional, statewide, and American archaeology.

Lidded Basket (Tarahumara,Mexico); yucca, 2009, MuseumPurchase

7/30/2019 Sherds_2010-2

8/10

Events

5th Annual ACRO Fest

Neal Larson, of the BlackHills Institute of GeologicalResearch, Hill City, SD,discusses ammonites, thecreatures that lived in the

oceans during the time of thedinosaurs

Monty Harper, a singer/songwriter from Stillwater, OK, sang special dinosaursongs for participants of the 5th Annual ACRO Fest, March 5.

Cephis Hall talks about the late Allen Graffhamand his wife Fran of Geological Enterprises, Ard-more, OK. They were responsible for getting theAcrocanthosauruspreserved and mounted.

7/30/2019 Sherds_2010-2

9/10

Activities

5th AnnualMary HerronKite Festival

Festival participants are shownmaking and decorating sled kitesthat they ew later in the day at theaireld on the McCurtain CountyFairgrounds.

Family FUN-atics,February 7, 2010featured a basketmakingworkshop with LindaLou Alexander ofAntlers, OK.

FamilyFUN-atics

7/30/2019 Sherds_2010-2

10/10

Idabel Museum SocietyMuseum of the Red River812 E. Lincoln RoadIdabel, Oklahoma 74745(580) 286-3616www.museumoftheredriver.org

Museum HoursTUESAT 10 AM5 PM

SUN 1 5 PMClosed Mondays and national holidays

Free AdmissionReservations appreciated for

groups of ten (10) or more.

\sherds\ n. [ME, fr. OE sceard, akin to OE scieranto cut] var:

shards 1: pieces or fragments of a brittle substance; broad-ly, small pieces or parts 2: fragments of pottery vesselsfound on sites and refuse deposits where pottery makingpeoples lived 3: highly angular curved glass fragments oftuffaceous sediments