Lonewolf, Joseph – Black and Red Bowl with Mimbres Bird (1972)
$ 1,000.00
This black and red bowl by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1972. It is very early in his career, as he only began making pottery full-time in 1971. The bowl is fully polished and fired red and black. This is a coloration that originated with Joseph. The bowl is first coil-built and stone-polished. The design is a Mimbres bird surrounded by etched bands that emanate outward. The design was etched into the clay before it was fired. This bowl was then traditionally fired, but before it was covered with manure to turn it black, the front area was covered to keep it red. This is a style that Joseph only created early in his career. The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Joseph Lonewolf” on the bottom in the clay.
“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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This black and red bowl by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1972. It is very early in his career, as he only began making pottery full-time in 1971. The bowl is fully polished and fired red-and-black. This is a coloration that was originated by Joseph. The bowl is first coil built and stone polished. The design is a Mimbres fish surrounded by waves. Note the background that is etched in a linear manner emanating out from behind the fish. The design was etched into the clay before it was fired. This bowl was then traditionally fired but before it was covered with manure to turn it black, the front area was covered to keep it red. This is a style that Joseph only created early in his career. The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Jospeh Lonewolf” on the bottom in the clay. There are numbers on the bottom, “29” and “4”. This was his early numbering system signifying the 29th piece he had made and this was the 4th one of 1972!
“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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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.