Lonewolf, Joseph – Mini Black Seedpot with Five Mimbres Insects (1978)
$ 900.00
This is a small seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf. The piece is fully polished and fired black. Joseph always made fewer black pieces than he made redware. The seepot is from 1978. There are four Mimbres-inspired insects on the top of the piece. Each has a different design on its back. They are very intricate for the size. The bottom is fully polished and there is one tiny etched Mimbres bee on near the shoulder. The piece is highly polished and fired a glassy black. 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
In stock
This is a small seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf. The piece is fully polished and fired black. Joseph always made fewer black pieces than he made redware. The seepot is from 1978. There are four Mimbres-inspired insects on the top of the piece. Each has a different design on its back. They are very intricate for the size. The bottom is fully polished and there is one tiny etched Mimbres bee on near the shoulder. The piece is highly polished and fired a glassy black. 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
Brand
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.