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Lonewolf, Joseph – Seedpot with Flute Player, Butterfly, and Star (1977)
2.5"w x 2"h
$ 1,800.00
This is a complex seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf. The piece is fully polished and fired red and it is from 1977. The top of the piece has a Flute Player and a Mimbres figure with a cane. Between them is a complex etched star. At the top of the design is a realistic butterfly. Around the sides, there are triangular mountain designs. Take a closer look at the side of the piece. What is really interesting is the background matte area of the piece. Around the figures are lines extending outward. The first row of mountains has vertical lines, then below are horizontal lines, and finally near the base are small circles. The circles were always the most time-consuming of the designs for the background and something that he rarely did after the 1970s. The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Joseph Lonewolf”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
I think what collectors saw and recognized was his special relationship with Clay Woman, the spirit who lives in the clay. His belief and respect for her allowed him to tap into his own creative energy, that inexplicable ‘groove’ that every artist seeks but only sometimes reaches. These two elements, Dad’s energy combined with Clay Woman to form these incredible pieces, so alive and realistic that you expected the images to walk right off the pots.” Rosemary Lonewolf, Spoken Through Clay
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Description
This is a complex seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf. The piece is fully polished and fired red and it is from 1977. The top of the piece has a Flute Player and a Mimbres figure with a cane. Between them is a complex etched star. At the top of the design is a realistic butterfly. Around the sides, there are triangular mountain designs. Take a closer look at the side of the piece. What is really interesting is the background matte area of the piece. Around the figures are lines extending outward. The first row of mountains has vertical lines, then below are horizontal lines, and finally near the base are small circles. The circles were always the most time-consuming of the designs for the background and something that he rarely did after the 1970s. The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Joseph Lonewolf”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
I think what collectors saw and recognized was his special relationship with Clay Woman, the spirit who lives in the clay. His belief and respect for her allowed him to tap into his own creative energy, that inexplicable ‘groove’ that every artist seeks but only sometimes reaches. These two elements, Dad’s energy combined with Clay Woman to form these incredible pieces, so alive and realistic that you expected the images to walk right off the pots.”
—ROSEMARY LONEWOLF, Spoken Through Clay
Learn More
Joseph Lonewolf was a son of noted potters Camilio and Agapita Tafoya and the brother of Grace Medicine Flower. In the early 1970s, Joseph revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs in his work.
When Joseph and his family gather clay, they do it with the utmost respect. Before the clay can be taken from Mother Earth, they must say a prayer, asking to take the clay and tell the clay mother that they will take her and make her into a beautiful pot. The clay is brought home, and water is added to turn the clay into a liquid form known as slip. The slip is then strained to take out any rocks or debris, and then the clay can be dried, kneaded, and used.
Joseph was awarded numerous awards throughout his career, and his work can be found in museums worldwide. He has been featured in multiple books, including "The Art of Clay." He received the prestigious New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2009 and the SWAIA Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Lonewolf, Joseph (1932-2014)
Joseph Lonewolf
Joseph Lonewolf was a son of noted potters Camilio and Agapita Tafoya and the brother of Grace Medicine Flower. In the early 1970s, Joseph revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs in his work.
When Joseph and his family gather clay, they do it with the utmost respect. Before the clay can be taken from Mother Earth, they must say a prayer, asking to take the clay and tell the clay mother that they will take her and make her into a beautiful pot. The clay is brought home, and water is added to turn the clay into a liquid form known as slip. The slip is then strained to take out any rocks or debris, and then the clay can be dried, kneaded, and used.
Joseph was awarded numerous awards throughout his career, and his work can be found in museums worldwide. He has been featured in multiple books, including "The Art of Clay." He received the prestigious New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2009 and the SWAIA Lifetime Achievement Award.