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Lonewolf, Joseph – Mimbres Big Horn Sheep Seedpot (1975)
2"w x 1.5"h
$ 1,275.00
This red polished seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1975. It is very early in his career, as he only began making pottery full-time in 1971. This seedpot is polished red and designed on various levels. On the top there is a Mimbres Big Horn Sheep. Below are lightning and rain designs and on the sides are prayer feathers. All the etching was done before the piece was fired so the lights are delicate and tight. The matte red areas are where the polished slip is etched away but not so deep as to cut into the tan clay. In the recessed tan areas note all the lines and curves that are cut into the clay. This process was time-consuming and yet is a visually striking addition to the design. It is both time-consuming and difficult to keep the rounded lines both evenly spaced and rounded. The seedpot is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. It is signed, “Joseph Lonewolf” on the bottom.
“Art was a hobby, including clay sculpting I learned from my father, the potting I learned from my mother, and the beadwork I learned from my grandparents. I became a full-time potter only this spring. Before that, I had an 8-to-5 job in Colorado Springs as a journeyman mechanic. “It gives me a funny feeling when people tell me I’ve done something brand new and different. I’ve just figured out all over again what potters did centuries ago. But it is NOT new as people like to say it is. Such colors were achieved in pre-history times by my ancestors.” Joseph Lonewolf, Spoken Through Clay, 1972
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Description
This red polished seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1975. It is very early in his career, as he only began making pottery full-time in 1971. This seedpot is polished red and designed on various levels. On the top there is a Mimbres Big Horn Sheep. Below are lightning and rain designs and on the sides are prayer feathers. All the etching was done before the piece was fired so the lights are delicate and tight. The matte red areas are where the polished slip is etched away but not so deep as to cut into the tan clay. In the recessed tan areas note all the lines and curves that are cut into the clay. This process was time-consuming and yet is a visually striking addition to the design. It is both time-consuming and difficult to keep the rounded lines both evenly spaced and rounded. The seedpot is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. It is signed, “Joseph Lonewolf” on the bottom.
“Art was a hobby, including clay sculpting I learned from my father, the potting I learned from my mother, and the beadwork I learned from my grandparents. I became a full-time potter only this spring. Before that, I had an 8-to-5 job in Colorado Springs as a journeyman mechanic. “It gives me a funny feeling when people tell me I’ve done something brand new and different. I’ve just figured out all over again what potters did centuries ago. But it is NOT new as people like to say it is. Such colors were achieved in pre-history times by my ancestors.” Joseph Lonewolf, Spoken Through Clay, 1972
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.