Micaceous pottery, like basketry, has been a traditional art. Jicarilla woman during territory times made utilitarian cooking pottery ware (bean pots) which were highly prized and made from local mica filled soil that could with stand high temperatures. It was widely traded to Northern New Mexican Spanish and Pueblo settlements and became a viable Jicarilla industry. During the early reservation era the pottery art form nearly died out. In the early 1980’s due the the initiative of the Pesata family, particularly Lydia Pesata is credited with reviving the Jicarilla Apache pottery tradition.

Today this pottery has taken form that ranks in the category of fine arts. Many Jicarilla Apaches are still actively producing micaceous pottery.