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These are all the New Additions which have been added for the last 30 days.
NEW PIECES OF NATIVE AMERICAN POTTERY AND ART ARE ADDED EACH DAY, SO CHECK BACK!
This is an intricately painted lidded jar by Dolores Curran. Before she began making her carved pieces, she was well known for her delicately painted buff-on-red pottery. The jar is fully polished red, as is the lid. The surface is then painted with a cream or buff colored clay which is matte in contrast to the highly polished surface. It’s the painting which is so complex, as Dolores would paint each piece up to five times to get the color of the matte painted areas deep and consistent enough! This piece has a feather pattern encircling the shoulder of the piece. Below the feathers is a water serpent (avanyu) and above are clouds. Around the neck are kiva step patterns. The is a wonderful shape which delicately complements the shape of the jar. The jar is signed on the bottom. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 975.00
Virgil Ortiz is known for his innovative style of Cochiti pottery, inspired by the Monos figures made at the pueblo in the 1880’s. As I wrote in the book, “Virgil Ortiz: Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180,
“This use of the figures for social commentary is where they derived their name, monos. The word is a colloquial blend of Spanish and Keres, with inexact definitions that range from “mimic,” “mocking,” or “cute” to “monkey.” While “monkey” might have suggested the elongated bodies and arms or the simplified open-mouthed faces of the figures, it was also a subtle racial pejorative aimed at their Cochiti makers.”
This is one of Virgil’s traditional clay figures made from native clay and painted with native clays and wild spinach (black). The figure has been traditionally fired. As noted the Monos figures were originally created as objects of social criticism and reflection and Virgil continues on this same path in his contemporary work. This figure is made in the “old style” and as a reference check out the final image by Ben Wittick from the 1880’s. These figures were made with hollow arms and “open” hands. The mouths and eyes were also open. Here Virgil has revived those older technical forms. The designs on the figure a spinach leaf patterns on the vest and pants. The little pocket on the vest and the goatee on the figure are very reminiscent of the early Monos figures, as those were personal identifiers which were incorporated into the design. Note how deeply the black fired on this piece! The earrings are also traditional red clay and added after the firing. It is signed on the bottom and is from 2018.
$ 5,900.00
This is a more classic Hopi-Tewa bowl by Les Namingha. The bowl is a wide, but rounded shape. The design on the top is painted with very small shard or mosaic patterns. Each of the tiny shards has different designs. Note as well in various sections how some are all checkerboard, while others are snow patterns and some are traditional Hopi designs. Each of the sections is separated by asymmetric bands which criss-cross the top of the bowl. The side of the bowl is painted with five different clay slips which alternate around the piece. Some are polished and some are matte. Below the checkerboard pattern is another band of shard designs. At the base of the bowl, there is a spiraling water design interspersed with Les’s pointillism. The coloration and the intricacy of the design are spectacular on this piece. Les is a descendant of Nampeyo and learned to make pottery from his aunt Dextra Quotskuyva. It is signed on the bottom. Les said of this style of his work:
“I was studying minimalist and geometric painters. This led to merging contemporary abstract patterns with Hopi mosaic designs. The subtle combination still maintained the design balance while decreasing the use of mosaic elements. It was refreshing to introduce minimalist ideas into the intense painting process.”
$ 3,400.00
This is an unusual figurative piece by Jennie Trammel. She was a daughter of Margaret Tafoya. Over the years Jennie did not make a lot of pottery as she lived a very private life and was virtually never involved in markets or gallery shows. However, she created striking pottery with classic shapes and designs which were distinctive to her work. This turtle is highly polished and painted black-on-black with a rain design. It is a charming piece and unusual to see a figurative piece of her pottery. The entire piece is fully polished and it is signed in the clay on the underside, “Jennie Trammel”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 175.00
This is an unusual bird fire by Margaret Tafoya is from the 1960’s. The bird is fully polished and the wings and tail are painted black-on-black. The painting is delicate and the designs are meant to symbolize the wings and tail feathers. The entire piece is fully stone polished and it is fired black. Margaret would often make these bird figures for tourists visiting the pueblo as well as to use up clay before preparing a new batch for her pottery. The bird in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is a small blister on the head and a just a bit of wear on the inside “bowl” part of the bird. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret”. It is charming piece reflective of the variety of pottery she made throughout her career!
$ 675.00
This bowl is unsigned from around 1936. It is stone polished and has a lightning design around the neck (or a very stylized avanyu) and triangular design around the shoulder. The triangles have hatchwork painting and there are small dots around the lightning. While it is unsigned, the sticker on the bottom is from the 1936 Santa Fe Indian Market. It’s always fascinating to find pieces with these stickers. The bowl is in very good condition with cracks, restoration or repair. There is one little chip on the inside of the rim. Definitely a piece of history!
$ 150.00
This is a classic bowl by Ramona Gonzales. Ramona was known for her delicately painted pottery. This bowl has a cloud and rain pattern painted on the shoulder. It is a strong graphic image on the bowl. It was fired a deep black with some areas of gunmetal coloration. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Ramona”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is definitely a classic piece of her pottery!
Click here to learn more about the Early San Ildefonso Innovators!
$ 800.00
This is a striking larger bowl by Juanita Pena. This bowl is an earlier piece of her pottery. It is fully polished and painted with a rain design. The little “dots” of rain on the design are definitely a signature of her painting style. The designs are definitely an unusual one with the geometric flow of pattern from one section to the next. The bowl is highly polished and fired a deep black. It is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair. There are some light surface scratches. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Juanita”.
$ 1,200.00
This is a classic wide shoulder jar by Helen Naha, also known as “Feather Woman”. She created distinctive pottery using the white clay slip throughout her career. The designs were all painted using bee-weed (black) and natural clay slips. She learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law, Paqua Naha yet had her own style in form, imagery, and composition. Helen is known for her revival of the pre-historic Awatovi pottery. Awatovi is one of the ruins near Hopi where a white slipped style of pottery was made. It is a fascinating place as it was where Coronado made contact with the Hopi in 1540. During the excavations in the 1930’s the whiteware pottery was rediscovered. It was the imagery from his work which inspired much of Helen’s early pottery, as opposed the more classic Sikyatki inspired pottery of Nampeyo. This jar has the “Awatovi Star” pattern painted on the top and the bottom. The shape of the jar has a more open mouth, which reveals more of the painted imagery when viewing from the side. Just above the shoulder is her “eternity band” design. The inside of the bowl is also polished, which Helen tried to do on most of her pottery when she could reach her hand inside. The jar has been traditionally fired and there is some variation to the color with the fired cloud, which certainly adds to the beauty of the piece. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom with her hallmark feather.
$ 2,800.00
I should start off by saying that is one of the tallest pieces we have had by Daryl Whitegeese. Next, sometimes a photo just doesn’t do a piece justice and this is one of those times. I realize looking at the photo that the top band looks “wavy” when in fact it is perfectly even. I had a hard time capturing the size, shine and carving on this large jar. I went for the polish and shape. The jar is an elegant form with a tall shoulder which turns in and then rises up to the tall neck. It is this proportionality which creates such an elegance to this piece. The center of the jar is fully carved with a design which depicts the mesa and the clouds , along with the rain and lightning designs. the carving is deep and the edges are VERY sharp. This style of carving has become a ‘signature’ for Daryl’s pottery. The jar is stone polished and it a glassy black surface. Note as well the edge of the rim of the jar and how he has polished into the rim! The size, shape and design all work perfectly on this piece. It is signed on the bottom in the clay. Daryl has won numerous awards at Santa Fe Indian Market and other events. He remains one of the exciting traditional potters working today! Simply stunning!
$ 5,700.00
Susan “Snowflake” Romero’s pottery is highly polished and intricately etched with detailed imagery. She learned to make pottery from her father, Joseph Lonewolf. This seedpot has a realistic style of butterfly on the top. The butterfly is surrounded by flowers. There are various levels of etching on the piece, including some wonderful areas which are just tan. The polishing has created a high shine. The seepot is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair and signed on the bottom.
$ 325.00
This is a striking collaborative jar by Jennifer Tafoya Moquino and Jason Ebelacker. Jason is a grandson of Virginia Ebelacker and a great-grandson of Margaret Tafoya. He continues in the family tradition of making large vessels. The water jar is one of his striking shapes with a wide shoulder and then is has a sharp, flat curve and a second shoulder as it extends up to the neck! The rim of the jar is slightly turned out and polished on the inside. The jar has two bear paws and it is fired a deep red coloration. The surface of the jar is etched by Jennifer Tafoya Moquino. She is known for her realistic etched designs. On this jar Jennifer has etched a series of cherry blossoms around the surface of the jar. It is a simple but elegant design which leaves open spaces to reveal the polishing. The petals and branches add just a slight detail to the surface of the jar. It is a striking combination of design and shape. Jennifer & Jason have collaborated on numerous pieces winning awards for their distinctive collaborations. This jar won a Second Place ribbon at the 2018 Heard Indian Market. It is exciting to see potters push beyond their comfort level in size and complexity of design.
$ 4,200.00
This larger bowl by Les Namingha is as part of his “Lyrical” series of Nampeyo birds. Les says of these pieces:
In the Lyrical Series, my goal is to work with various colors. Sunrise, sunset, dusk, or other types of blending and washing of colors. In complement to that I use various bird designs by Nampeyo of Hano. The birds are often painted in the style they appear on the pottery so they are more detailed and contrast against the colors behind them.
He is certainly one of those potters who continues to defy expectations in his innovative clay art. He pulls from his artistic background as well as his Zuni and Hopi heritage. This dramatic bowl has four “thunderbirds” as the surface design. Les says he was inspired by a black-and-white on red bowl by Nampeyo of Hano made around 1901 (see last photo). The birds painted by Nampeyo are stylized and make one think about both Fred Harvey jewelry and Northwest coast designs. Here the birds are painted black-and-white on a red background. Behind the birds are stylized bird wings and linear graphics. The colors spiral around the bowl much like the Thunderbird designs. It is always fascinating when an artist is able to look back at a historic vessel and reinterpret it through modern eyes! It is signed on the bottom. The ancient and modern are perfectly balanced in this bowl!
$ 3,600.00
This is a stunning water jar by Russell Sanchez. He continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery. Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched. The shape is a classic San Ildefonso form with the wide round shoulder. Note how after the shoulder there is almost a flatness to the jar before the neck. I took some of the photos straight on just to show how perfectly symmetrical the jar is in form! This proportionality is technically difficult to achieve. The jar is etched with a water serpent (avanyu) before it is fired. The rim of the jar has 16 melon ribs carved into the clay. The matchup with the 16 ribs which are deeply carved into the lid. The ribs on the lid are slipped with a micaceous clay which when fired is almost metallic in color! The top of the lid is fully polished to again compliment the polished surface of the jar. The polishing on this jar is stunning that he is able to achieve such an amazing polish just using a stone! Check out the neck and the base and the high shine is easily seen. There are four bands of jet hei-shi beads which are inset into the jar around the neck and shoulder. They separate bands of checkerboard mica and matt sections. The checkerboard use of the mica is subtle but stunning! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay. The last photos are some of the jar being fired (red before firing, in the fire, out of the fire but now black and surrounded by the manure and finally Russell holding the jar after it is fired).
Russell says of his work:
“I don’t let a pot go until I think it’s ready. I’ve had pots sitting there for months that I don’t think are ready, and then an idea will come, from anywhere, anytime, and it’s like, OK, that’s what this pot needs. That’s what they tell you at home [on the pueblo]: When the time is ready, it will happen. That’s when you finish up and let it go.”
$ 8,800.00
This is a very creative box by Russell Sanchez. The shape is inspired by the historic San Ildefonso boxes from the 1920’s. Here, Russell has furthered the connection to the historic pieces with his focus on the polychrome coloration. The red is a very deep coloration and the same deep red as used in the 1920’s. The black areas are a black micaceous clay which he has polished. When the red or black areas are etched away, they leave exposed clay, which is tan in coloration. That creates the polychrome coloration, which are the same three tonalities used in early San Ildefonso pottery.
The box itself is inspired by the painting of Florentino Montoya form the early 1900’s. This box has two sides of red and two sides of black. The lid is half black and half red. The lid can also be set for the black to match up, or for it to be a contrast. Florentino was famous for his alternating and switching of colors on his painted designs. Here the lid has very delicately etched fine-line patterns which represent the mountain lions when they are drawn as petroglyphs. The sides of the box are etched in two sections with cloud and rain designs. The medallions are unique in design. Russell has etched and textured the mountain lions in each of the medallions. They are much in the style of the animal imagery seen on San Ildefonso pottery before 1900. The mountain lion design is an equally significant one on this piece as Russell says here that the mountain lions represent the twin war gods who protect the village. Each of the medallions is surrounded by a band of hei-shi beads. Again, the medallions are the opposite color of the surrounding clay. The box was traditionally fired and the result is a striking coloration, especially for the red. The box is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,800.00
This classic water jar by Russell Sanchez is a modern take on historic San Ildefonso pottery. This jar is focused on the complexity of form and color and just the simplest addition of etched design. The shape of the jar is inspired by the historic Pueblo water jar with a round shoulder and turned out rim. The colors on this jar are all from natural clay slips and they are simply stunning. The deep red is the same red clay which was used in the 1920’s. The black areas are a black micaceous clay which he has polished. On this piece, the black is an even coloration, which further enhances the red. The base of the jar has 28 indented gourd or melon rib sections. They are deeply carved into the clay creating an undulating appearance. The base then comes up to the shoulder and there is just a slight dip in the jar before extending up to the neck. The photo of the jar on its side reveals the depth of the indention at the shoulder. This is technically difficult to create. The neck of the jar is straight and the rim is flat. Amazingly, the inside of the rim is carved with melon ribs creating the “waterfall rim”. The rim is polished red while the melon section is polished with black mica. There is a single section which is matte and inset with jet stones and surrounded on both sides by turquoise hei-shi beads. Check out the tiny incised dots on the rim and neck of the jar. They are a subtle but striking addition. The jar also has a lid, which is carved with gourd sections and they alternate between matte and black mica. The top of the lid if fully polished red. There are inset jet stones on the end of the lid and the top has a piece of turquoise. The lid is a wonderful addition, as it covers the “waterfall” leaving it as a surprise when the lid is removed. The deep red on the lid also matches the deep red on the neck of the jar. The jar is traditionally fired outside and it is signed in the clay on the bottom.
$ 6,800.00
Cliff Roller is a son of noted potter Toni Roller. Each piece is coil built and stone polished. This bowl is carved four bear paws as the designs. The bear paws are symbolic of a Pueblo story where the bear leads the people to water during a drought. Here the bear paws are each deeply carved into the clay and polished. The remainder of the bowl is fully polished to a very high shine. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Cliff Roller”. This bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. While these days Cliff makes very little pottery, his work remains a statement to his skill as a potter!
$ 400.00
This is a low shoulder water jar by Samuel Manymules. It is coil built and slipped with a red clay and then traditionally fired. The jar has a stone polished neck and the ribs extend from the shoulder swirling down to the base. The swirl is low, giving the jar a striking appearance. The ribs are pushed out from the inside and very angular. The coloration of the jar is more subtle with red and light black areas. The color is created by the traditional outdoor firing. After the firing the jar is the covered with pine pitch in the traditional way expected of Navajo pottery. It is extraordinary vessels like this which keep Samuel among the top Navajo potters working today.
$ 1,625.00
This jar by Alice Cling has a narrow base and has an asymmetrical rim. The idea is that the rim looks like the mountains and mesas in the Southwest. This jar is fully polished red and then fired outdoors. The stunning variation in the color are from the smoke and fire. The colors on this piece vary from tan to black to a deep red. The jar was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof. Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”
$ 225.00
This is an original clay piece by Roxanne Swentzell. She is well known for her clay masks and their unique expressiveness. This mask is a charming smaller piece of her work. The face has great expression and a lot of detail on the mouth and eyes. It is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed in the clay, “ROX”.
$ 1,000.00
This is a classic jar by Alice Cling. It has a high shoulder and a square mouth. The entire jar is fully polished and then it is outdoor fired and the stunning variation in the color is from the smoke and fire. The fire clouds on this jar are stunning with areas that range from deep red to black. The piece was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when the pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof. Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”
$ 200.00
Margaret Lou Gutierrez was the only daughter of noted potters Tonita & Juan Roybal. She began making pottery in the 1970’s. This bowl is one of her few plates. The surface is stone polished and painted with a classic feather design. The back is matte. Her feathers always had distinctive sharp appearance in their shape. The plate is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the back in the clay, “Margaret Lou Gutierrez”.
$ 950.00
This is a charming plate by Joe Aguilar. He began his career painting pottery for his mother, Susana Aguilar, He also made pottery with his wife, Rosalie, through the 1940’s. In the 1950’s, after the passing of Rosalie, he created a fascinating group of polychrome pottery including both plates and vessels. He was one of the few potters at the time still using traditional techniques for the polychrome or black-on-white pottery. This plate is painted with a stylized koshari clown as the design. Off to the side is a dog sitting, watching the dancer. It is an unusual design, as koshari are rarely if ever depicted in Pueblo pottery. I was told that he was part of the clown group and so that is why he was able to paint the clowns on his pottery. The plate is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the back, “Joe Aguilar”. It is from the Dick Howard collection and his inventory number is still on the back.
For more information on the
$ 800.00
This is certainly one of the most exceptional pieces we have seen by Joe Aguilar. He began his career painting pottery for his mother, Susana Aguilar, He also made pottery with his wife, Rosalie, through the 1940’s. In the 1950’s, after the passing of Rosalie, he created a fascinating group of polychrome pottery including both plates and vessels. He was one of the few potters at the time still using traditional techniques for the polychrome or black-on-white pottery. This unique piece is a terraced bowl. The mountain steps are on one side and the center of the bowl is meant to represent the lake below the mountains. There are two avanyu painted along the interior sides of the bowl. The bowl was traditionally fired and there is a slight dark cast to the cream colored clay due to the smoke in the firing. The interesting part of the firing, however, is that on the bottom you can see fingerprints of where he handled the bowl before it was fired! The bowl is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom, “Joe Aguilar”.
For more information on the
$ 950.00
Joe Aguilar began his career painting pottery for his mother, Susana Aguilar, He also made pottery with his wife, Rosalie, through the 1940’s. In the 1950’s, after the passing of Rosalie, he created a fascinating group of polychrome pottery including both plates and vessels. He was one of the few potters at the time still using traditional techniques and designs for his work. This wide bowl is slipped red on the inside and creame on the outside. It is painted in black with a rain cloud and rain designs. The use of the lines in his design was a signature of his painting. On this bowl the pattern is repeated four times. The bowl is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom, “Joe Aguilar”.
For more information on the
$ 650.00
This is a classic design on a clay tile by Virgil Ortiz. The design is taken from his Revolt 1680/2180 series. The figure is one of the Pueblo Warriors from the Venutian Soldier series of his work. It is a powerful story of the connection between man and the environment. The figure is intricately painted with an amazing sense of motion. The tile has a wildflower design on the back. There is also Virgil’s signature “Turkey track” which looks like an “x”. The tile uses native clay, native clay slips and wild spinach (the black). The piece is signed on the back. The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.
In the book, “Revolt”, I wrote about these as follows:
In the summer of 2012 Ortiz premiered his “Venutian Soldiers’. The story of the Pueblo Revolt was becoming more evolved and Ortiz was able to have fun developing more background for his characters and the events before the Revolt 2180. “I have created Native Superheroes in the form of clay, photography, video and film, which allows me the freedom to express my personal interpretation of the REVOLT – The First American Revolution. The Venutian Soldiers are futurist, herculean superheroes, over eight feet tall, who fight mainly at nighttime and possess extraordinary strength and magical powers”. Here the Venutian Soldiers reflect the destruction of pueblos by the Spanish during their original conquest. In their future version, it is the Castilians who have destroyed their ‘world’ and the Venutian Soldiers are the embodiment of this devastation. Their environment has been destroyed through nuclear weapons causing the Venutian Soldiers to use oxygen tanks and gas masks to survive. This story is a thoughtful embodiment of a world overrun and the natural order destroyed yet survivable by the sense of “Pueblo community”. The Venutians are lead by Tahu and Kootz to find a hospitable land and “rebuild their traditions and ways of life on ancestral sacred lands”.
$ 650.00
This is a classic design on a clay tile by Virgil Ortiz. The design is taken from his Revolt 1680/2180 series. The figure is one of the Pueblo Warriors from the Venutian Soldier series of his work. It is a powerful story of the connection between man and the environment. The figure is intricately painted with an amazing sense of motion. The tile has a wildflower design on the back. There is also Virgil’s signature “Turkey track” which looks like an “x”. The tile uses native clay, native clay slips and wild spinach (the black). The piece is signed on the back. The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.
In the book, “Revolt”, I wrote about these as follows:
In the summer of 2012 Ortiz premiered his “Venutian Soldiers’. The story of the Pueblo Revolt was becoming more evolved and Ortiz was able to have fun developing more background for his characters and the events before the Revolt 2180. “I have created Native Superheroes in the form of clay, photography, video and film, which allows me the freedom to express my personal interpretation of the REVOLT – The First American Revolution. The Venutian Soldiers are futurist, herculean superheroes, over eight feet tall, who fight mainly at nighttime and possess extraordinary strength and magical powers”. Here the Venutian Soldiers reflect the destruction of pueblos by the Spanish during their original conquest. In their future version, it is the Castilians who have destroyed their ‘world’ and the Venutian Soldiers are the embodiment of this devastation. Their environment has been destroyed through nuclear weapons causing the Venutian Soldiers to use oxygen tanks and gas masks to survive. This story is a thoughtful embodiment of a world overrun and the natural order destroyed yet survivable by the sense of “Pueblo community”. The Venutians are lead by Tahu and Kootz to find a hospitable land and “rebuild their traditions and ways of life on ancestral sacred lands”.
$ 650.00
Jamie Peynetsa is the son of noted potters Anderson and Avelia Peynetsa. Avelia, his mother, coil builds the clay vessel. Jamie paints the design. He has a strong attention to the detail of the painting as well as his inspiration from classic Zuni pottery. This jar is very tightly painted with rain designs above the shoulder. The thin lines are even and add complexity to the piece. The sides of the jar are boldly painted with lightning patterns. Note how well Jamie paints to match design and form. It is signed by Jamie and his mother on the bottom. At only 20 years old, he certainly has a great future in pottery!
$ 600.00
This is a classic wide shoulder water jar by Jason Ebelacker. The jar is an elegant shape with the very wide shoulder and turned out rim. This shape of water jar is one which is often seen in the work of his great-grandmother Margaret Tafoya. Here Jason has created a jar with a double shoulder or “rainbow rim”. The key to making a jar of this shape is to accentuate the round shoulder and the curves of the neck. He has impressed a bear paw as part of the design. The paws represent the story of the bear who saved the village from a flood and they are represented on vessels which hold water. The jar is stone polished to a high shine and then traditionally fired. The jar has a high polish and a very deep black coloration. Jason is a son of noted potter Richard Ebelacker and grandson of Virginia Ebelacker. He has won numerous awards for his pottery and continues to be one of the important younger potters to watch. Pottery at this level of creativity and quality are certainly a reflection of both his talent and the future!
$ 3,600.00
Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano make an amazing team, working to create innovative pottery using traditional techniques. Lisa makes the pottery and it is painted by Harlan. This figure is a dragon/dog. It creatively combines both a pueblo and Asian influence. The dragon is hollow and the body has a spiraling appearance. The body is complex and the various spines add an exceptional sense of depth to this piece! The turned head is just perfect! The body is painted with bee-weed (black) and a red clay slip. On the back legs is a wild spinach design. On the sides is a flower pattern. The back and legs has a mosaic lightning pattern which Harlan often uses on his pottery. The small clay tabs which are added are the natural color of the clay, adding another dimension to the piece. The materials are all traditional as the red and cream are both native clays while the black is wild spinach (a plant). This figure was also traditionally fired outdoors. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 6,000.00
Elizabeth Medina is known for traditional style of Zia pottery. Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays and native fired. Did you know that Zia potters mix volcanic basalt into their clay to give it strength? The surface of this jar is painted with a series of birds and roadrunners, which are often depicted on Zia pottery. Here there are two large sections with birds, each highly detailed. Separating them are two smaller bird medallions. Note the hatchwork designs near the rim and the flower patterns. There are three different colors used on the jar, a tan, red and a brown clay. It is always more difficult to work in multiple colors of clay! The lid of the jar has a turtle and the flat part of the lid is red, while the turtle has a bird on its back! The jar is signed on the side, “Elizabeth Medina, Zia”.
$ 400.00
Eiva Lalo Nampeyo is a daughter of Elva Tewaguna Namepyo, a granddaughter of Fannie Nampeyo, the great-granddaughter of the Nampeyo of Hano. She is as sister to potters Adelle, Miriam Nampeyo, Elton Tweaguna and Neva Namepyo. She learned to make pottery from her mother and grandmother. This jar is a striking variation on the classic bat wing design. Here there is a linear pattern above the shoulder which then extends down to the bat wing patterns. The red clay slip is used to highlight the bat wings. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 195.00
Adelle Lalo Nampeyo is known for her stylistic use of traditional Hopi designs. This wide bowl is a classic shape with a wide shoulder. The design is the classic bat wing pattern, made famous by Nampeyo of Hano. The opening is slipped red and the remainder is painted with intricate lines. The bowl is traditionally fired to create the coloration on the surface of the jar. The coloration works beautifully with this piece with shades from white to orange. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 150.00
Dextra Quostkuyva Nampeyo is certainly one of the most influential Hopi-Tewa potters of the last 50 years. Not only has she taught numerous potters (Steve Lucas, Yvonne Lucas, Les Namingha, Loren Ami, Hisi Nampeyo, to name just a few), but her creative designs and forms changed have dramatically influenced the pottery itself. This is a fascinating bowl which has two openings. On one side there is a flower painted on the clay with a tiny hummingbird. The other side has a black painted star pattern. The bowl is signed on the inside. The bowl sits on a clay tile, which has been traditionally fired and is also signed in the clay. The fine lines of the painting, along with the blush from the traditional firing make this an exceptional piece of her pottery. It is painted with red clay slips along with bee-weed (black). It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Dextra was the subject of a retrospective of her pottery at the Museum of Indian Art and Culture, along with a companion book entitled, “Painted Perfection“.
$ 4,000.00
Tina Diaz has skillfully created her own unique style of carving pottery. She is one of only a handful of Santa Clara potters who has mastered the technique of polishing her pottery tan. The tan is the natural color of the clay and the most difficult to polish to achieve a high shine. This red and tan jar is fully carved. There is a bird and cloud design on one side in the red. As the jar is turned the lightning design is carved and polished tan. She uses the negative space of the jar to create additional cloud motifs. The neck and base of the jar polished red. Note the various sections which create swirls and various angles for the design. It is always technically difficult to carve such sharp angles and delicate edges into the clay. The background has the traditional cream colored slip, which few potters use today because it is difficult to apply. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 950.00
Dominguita Sisneros Naranjo is a daughter of noted Ohkay Owingeh potter Tomasita Montoya and a sister of Rosita de Herrera. This bowl is coil built and the top rim is pushed down in an undulating manner. The top and bottom are fully polished red. Interestingly, this is either an early piece of her pottery, or she found some of her mother’s old slip, as the red on this piece is the deep red from the earlier Ohkay Owingeh pottery. The body of the bowl is tan polished and incised with a mesa and cloud motif. The incised area is lightly slipped with a micaceous clay. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dominguita Sisneros”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 175.00
Tomasita Montoya is one of the early revivalists in San Juan pottery. She was one of the original seven San Juan potters who revived the art form in the 1930’s. The Pueblo was renown for their pottery but by about 1890 there were no potters left. In 1930 Regina Cata organized a pottery study group at San Juan Pueblo with the intent of revitalizing pottery production. The group studied ancient potsherds of wares made at San Juan in earlier times and selected Potsuwi‘i Incised Ware (1450-1500) as a basis for a contemporary pottery type. This jar is one of her classic incised water jars. The neck and base are both fully polished red. The center section is incised with a square pattern. There is just a bit of mica used to highlight the incised designs. This jar is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tomasita Montoya”.
$ 500.00
Ida Redbird is one of the best known of the potters involved in the revival of Maricopa pottery from 1937-40. She was featured in Arizona Highways in 1948. Her pottery is made using a paddle-and-anvil technique and they are twice fired. This is one of her few plainware pieces. It is larger in size and fully polished on the outside. Although it is plain, it is a great color and a classic of Maricopa pottery! It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Ida Redbird” on the bottom. It comes with the newspaper article about her passing in 9171.
$ 400.00
This is an exceptional miniature seedpot by Rosemary Lonewolf! It is fully designed with three birds and a band of flowers around the shoulder. Spiraling around the top of the seedpot is a feather design and there is a small flower on the very top! Rosemary has added additional white and blue colorations for the clay on this piece. The various colors are all derived from natural clay slips. The seedpot is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 800.00
This is a classic miniature long neck jar by Grace Medicine Flower is from 1993. It is fully polished and the area around the body of the piece is fully designed. There is a butterfly on one side and around the shoulder are cloud and rain designs. Note the various levels of etched into the clay on the butterfly! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks restoration or repair.
$ 975.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light: Maidens to Mantas”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This tile is inspired by the painting “Water Carriers” by Walter Ufer. Susan says of this piece:
Tiles are always so difficult to make, but I wanted to challenge myself to do one that is exceptionally large. In the original painting by Walter Ufer, the coloration of the blue is so intense. I wanted to soften it so that the clay would have room to breathe. When you have a painting that is powerful, I leave the faces undefined so that it is not a “copy” but it leaves them to the imagination. The “frame” became one of my very intricate “bejeweled” designs. I want the little squares to look like turquoise, coral, silver, and gold.
The tile is intricately etched around the edge to create a tile or mosaic appearance. The central design is delicately painted and captures the women and the pottery. There is a striking sense of movement and the use of the natural clay for the color of the background is perfect! The til is signed on the front.
$ 2,400.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light: Maidens to Mantas”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by a painting by Victor Higgins. Susan says of this jar:
“This painting by Higgins is a powerful piece. I really wanted to be able to capture the “Higgins Clouds” (last image). They are the kind of clouds which you only see in Northern New Mexico. I put the lid on the jar with the tightly basket to create a greater sense of intimacy than it just being an open vessel.
The jar is a tall shape and the white areas are a textured white slip. The figures are painted so that the clay can be seen in the background of the piece. Again, the texture of the clay plays an important part of the vessel. The lid is wonderful with the tightly painted basket and the handle. The jar is signed on the bottom.
“Viewing Susan Folwell’s intricately designed pottery is like reading a book, as each piece must be turned, examined and viewed from different angles to understand the whole story.” American Indian Art Magazine, 2005
$ 2,200.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light: Maidens to Mantas”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This tile is inspired by the “Water Carriers” painting by Walter Ufer. Susan says of this piece:
My newest pieces serve as commentaries and reflections on the classic Taos Society of Artists Work. I specifically want to focus on their portrayal of Native Women. The use of the tile format allows me to create my own “painting”. Here I added the shelf or “bench” to the tile and made four additional pieces of pottery which are attached to the tile. I like the idea of the painting becoming 3-D, just like a piece of pottery!
The tile has the women painted carrying water jars on their heads. In the foreground are four small pieces of pottery which are attached to the tile. There is a black water jar, a red and tan polished bowl, a tan polished bowl and a tiny black and white bowl. The back of the tile is also fully designed with a textured pattern with dots. There is almost the feeling of a shawl or cloth to the texture and coloration. The tile is signed on the front.
$ 1,450.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This large jar is part of her new series for, “Peering through Taos Light”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by a Hennings painting of two twins who moved to Taos. Susan says of this piece:
“What attracted me to this painting was the striking look of the twins. They were the Baumgartner brothers who relocated to Taos. I appreciated the painting captured the essence of the time they lived. I wanted to do a flask as the shape to accentuate the landscape. I went a bit “free” form on the shape, but it billows behind them, like the clouds. The back panel are flowers local to Taos and New Mexico and the painted and etched the basket on the bottom. I love how the basket seems to be both holding them and they seem to be floating out of it as well. It’s all like a dream.”
This large jar is both painted and etched. Note on the figures how Susan has etched away the figures to create both depth and bring out the natural color of the clay. The “lid” for the flask is cork. The shape, design and story all fit together perfectly on this amazing large vessel! The last photos here are the actual painting for comparison. The pieces are signed on the bottom.
$ 11,000.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light: Maidens to Mantas”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by the painting “Water-Grass” by Bert Phillips. Davison Koening, the Director of the E.I. Couse Foundation in Taos, NM noted that the early paintings by many of the Taos artists were ethnographic in orientation. As a result, the title, such as “Water-Grass”, would often simply be the name of the subject in the painting. Susan says of this piece:
“On this piece, I had created the open bowl and then I saw the Phillips portrait of “Water-Grass”. As with much of my recent work, I wanted to be able to honor and reflect on the women in these paintings by the Taos Artists. This image was perfect for the shape, as it almost felt as if I was painting a cameo in a shell. There was an unexpected intimacy in the hand-held size of the open bowl and the detail for her clothing and jewelry. I painted the intricately etched detail on her jewlery to have it own lumininescence. The bowl itself is like a shell that could be held. The back is textured and painted to look like a turtle shell. I put her name, “Water-Grass” on the front to honor her and the endurance of Native women.”
The open bowl is painted in the center with the portrait of “Water-Grass”. Scan in close and you can see how Susan has incised the hair and necklace, so there is an intricacy in the technique and design which is unexpected. The space around the figure reveals the coloration of the clay. The back is almost the “surprise” as it is highly textured and the coloration is to have the feel of a turtle shell. It is signed on the back.
$ 1,500.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Peering through Taos Light”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by the painting “Passing By” by Ernest Hennings. Susan says of this piece,
“In the painting, it is a scene with the two women walking down the lane. When I was working on this jar in Taos, it was the first snow of the season. I deiced to make it a snow scene instead of an autumn scene.
The color of the jar is the key to this piece. It captures the mood of the sky after a snow and at sunset. The piece is mostly matte, with a single band of the Folwell family “x’s” etched into the clay. The figures are painted but note the use etching around the plants, which gives them just a slight sense of relief. Sometimes less is more and the strength of the design is powerful enough for the jar. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 4,400.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her continuing series for, “Peering through Taos Light”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by painting by Bert Phillips. The jar features Taos Pueblo women with baskets of corn. The designs are painted and etched into the clay. The rim of the jar has been wet so that it has a “crackled” appearance. Susan said she wanted it to have a utilitarian feel, much like the baskets the women are holding. The figures are each intricately painted and etched. The original Phillips painting is the last image. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,600.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light”. This jar combines her love of Pop-Art with Pueblo imagery. Here there are two young women wearing tablitas on their heads for Feast Day The area behind them has been left the natural color of the clay. The shoulder of the jar has been indented, almost reminding one of the bread made during Feast Day in the horno ovens. However, it is the base of the jar which is dynamic. Susan has etched and carved into the clay with a series of rows which she has then painted to have the appearance of a stone mosaic! Each band is a different size, as is each of the various squares and rectangles. The imagery here is evocative not only of the hei-shi beads and jewelry worn during Feast Day, but also the beauty of the stones and how when set in this manner almost seem to replicate the horizon. The jar is signed on the bottom.
“Susan has been experimenting with textured surfaces, creating a “bejeweled” effect that looks like turquoise, coral, silver, and gold.” “Taos Light”.
Native Art Magazine, April 2018
$ 2,600.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light: Maidens to Mantas”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by the painting “The Bakers” by Walter Ufer. Susan says of this piece,
I made this jar to have a very open and organic appearance. I wanted to capture the fun and intensity of Pueblo women getting ready for Feast Day. There is so much movement in the clouds and sky and there was an unexpected translucence when I put on the clay slip. It made me want to keep the clay showing and create a piece which was more subtle. The use of the layers of rope around the neck are the passing of the legacy of Feast Day and baking bread from one generation to another.
The jar is a large but organic shape with a wide body and indented neck. The rim of the jar is fully incised to create the appearance of the rope. The body of the piece is painted with the scenes of Pueblo women baking bread. The clouds are intricately painted with small dots and note how the background areas has large swaths of white clay slip against the natural color of the clay. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 4,900.00
Stetson Setalla is a son of noted potter Pauline Setalla. This wide bowl is fully painted triangular mountain designs along with cloud patterns. The designs are intricately painted with hatchwork and geometric patterns. The bowl is coil built and painted with bee-weed and natural clay slips. Note the various colors he has used on this bowl, which is certainly unusual! The bowl is traditionally fired with striking fire clouds on the surface. Interestingly, the first time I met Stetson was through the famous photographer Jerry Jacka, around 1998. Jerry was photographing Stetson’s pottery for is book on Hopi art and asked Stetson to stay until I arrived so I could see his pottery! Definitely a talented potter from the very beginning! This bowl is signed on the bottom.
$ 800.00
Kaa Folwell is one of the exciting young potters working today. In 2018 she is graduating from IAIA, which certainly adds an educational component to a lifetime of making pottery in her renowned family. This large bowl has a wide shoulder and a slight neck. The outside of the bowl is etched and then painted. The designs are graffiti style clouds and lightning. The spiral and flow around the surface of the bowl. The contrast of the painted surfaces with the texture of the clay body works perfectly for both the feel and the visual. In various places around the designs are the Folwell family “x” design. Not only is the bowl painted and etched, but the entire interior is fully painted as well. The strength of the exterior design continues on the interior. It is a beautiful balance of color, form, and design. The bowl is signed on the bottom. We are excited to see more from this young potter!
$ 1,500.00
Kaa Folwell is one of the exciting young potters working today. This jar has an asymmetrical shape around the rim. The coloration is achieved by polishing the top and bottom areas red and the center tan. The area around the shoulder is fully incised with “graffiti” designs. There is a striking flow of design and the various levels of design. It is a beautiful balance of color, form, and design. We are excited to see more from this young potter!
$ 400.00
This is a fascinating piece by Virginia Romero. She is one of the great names in keeping micaceous pottery alive at Taos Pueblo. This bowl is one of her pieces from the 1967 and it is micaceous clay (clay with mica), which was often used for utilitarian pottery. The bowl has a “hobnail” design, which are the bumps which encircle the rim of the piece. There are some great fire clouds on the bowl. Interestingly, it has been over four years since we had a piece of her pottery come back to the gallery! The bowl is signed and dated on the bottom, “Virginia Romero, 12/67”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 125.00
This is an exceptional large carved jar by Toni Roller. She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery. This large jar is a striking shape with a high shoulder and a slight neck. Around the shoulder are 32 carved feathers as the design. Toni has a distinctive style of carved feather she uses for her pottery, with a rounded edge at the base. The lower section of the jar is carved with a kiva step and mountain pattern. It is a subtle complement to the complex carving of the feathers. The jar is fully polished and a striking example of her work. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Toni Roller” and dated February 2018.
$ 4,000.00
This jar by Alice Cling has a mountain step design carved shape to the rim. The remainder of the jar is highly polished red but note that she has added a band of green clay slip around the rim of the jar. It creates a striking visual contrast after the firing. The jar is traditionally fired and ranges in color from brown to a deep red to black. The piece was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof. Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”
$ 180.00
This is one of the larger jars we have had from Alice Cling. The jar has a high shoulder and an elongated neck. The entire jar is highly polished red. It is then outdoor fired and the stunning variation in the color are from the smoke and fire. The fire clouds on this jar are stunning with areas that range from deep red to black to a deep red. The jar was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pine pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof. Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”
$ 500.00
Paula Estevan has built a reputation for her highly detailed painted pottery. This jar is more “trompe l’oile” than “op-art”. The jar is thin-walled and one of the largest pieces of her pottery we have had in the gallery. The design, however, does fool the eye as the lighting pattern which extends from the neck to the base give the piece added dimension. It is spectacular painting on this jar and a reflection of how Paula continues to be one of the leaders of Acoma pottery.
$ 550.00
Seferina Ortiz is the matriarch of a family of renowned potters, including Virgil Ortiz, Janice Ortiz, and Lisa Holt. This is one of her classic pieces which combines figure and vessel. The jar is a classic Cochiti shape with the high shoulder. The design is a rain pattern which encircles the rim. There are six children on the outside of the jar. They are all positioned and painted to appear to be interacting! The jar is slipped with white Cochiti clay and painted with red clay slip and wild spinach plant (black). The piece is signed on the bottom. It was traditionally fired and in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Definitely a classic!
$ 875.00
This is a provocative canteen by Virgil Ortiz. The piece is coil built and painted with native clay slips and wild spinach (a plant) for the black. The front of the canteen is painted with one of Virgi’s iconic images. The figure is one of the “Ventuian Soldiers”. In the book, “Revolt”, I wrote about these as follows:
In the summer of 2012 Ortiz premiered his “Venutian Soldiers’. The story of the Pueblo Revolt was becoming more evolved and Ortiz was able to have fun developing more background for his characters and the events before the Revolt 2180. “I have created Native Superheroes in the form of clay, photography, video and film, which allows me the freedom to express my personal interpretation of the REVOLT – The First American Revolution. The Venutian Soldiers are futurist, herculean superheroes, over eight feet tall, who fight mainly at nighttime and possess extraordinary strength and magical powers”. Here the Venutian Soldiers reflect the destruction of pueblos by the Spanish during their original conquest. In their future version, it is the Castilians who have destroyed their ‘world’ and the Venutian Soldiers are the embodiment of this devastation. Their environment has been destroyed through nuclear weapons causing the Venutian Soldiers to use oxygen tanks and gas masks to survive. This story is a thoughtful embodiment of a world overrun and the natural order destroyed yet survivable by the sense of “Pueblo community”. The Venutians are lead by Tahu and Kootz to find a hospitable land and “rebuild their traditions and ways of life on ancestral sacred lands”.
The combination of figures reacting to the environment and water issues, and the form being a canteen, was not lost on Virgil in making this piece. The figure is surrounded by floral designs and wildflower designs on the back. Note as well the “spirit line” which is a space in the painting on the rim. Virgil has also incorporated his signature “x”, which is the turkey track, onto the front of the canteen. The piece is signed on the back. The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay. His work can be found in museums worldwide, including the Fondation Cartier in Paris, the Heard Museum, the Denver Art Museum and more.
$ 2,500.00
Elizabeth Medina is known for traditional style of Zia pottery. Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays and native fired. This jar was made by Elizabeth and painted by her husband, Marcellus Medina. The jar has Zia birds on two of the sides. It is charming how the birds are painted looking at the butterflies! Separating the birds are stylized plant designs. Note all the various colors used on this jar! Some of the colors are polished while others are matte. The top of the lid is polished red and there is an added turtle. The top of the turtle has flowers and a bird as the design. The jar is signed on the side “Elizabeth + Marcellus Medina, Zia”.
$ 300.00
This is a figurative piece by Jennifer Tafoya Moquino. It is a perch and fully polished and etched. Note the details on the sides and the various layers. The piece is signed on the bottom. The colors are all derived from natural clay slips.
$ 140.00
Greg Garcia was known for his use of classic Santa Clara forms for his pottery. He learned to make pottery from his grandmother, Severa Tafoya and also worked closely with his sister, Tina Garcia. This is one of his classic double shoulder water jars. The jar has the “rainbow ridge” or double shoulder, which is always technically difficult to make. The entire piece is fully polished. The jar was fired a deep black coloration. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Greg Garcia”.
$ 300.00
Tina Garcia was well known for her focus on traditional shape and plainware Santa Clara pottery. This jar is a classic shape with a long neck and a sharp shoulder. The rim is fluted and it is also fully polished on the inside. Typical of her pottery is an elegant shape and the stone polished surface is stunning. It is signed on the bottom and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,000.00
Robert Cleto Nichols is known for his deep carved pottery. Each piece is coil built, carved and stone polished. This bowl has a fish as the design which encircles the piece. As the bowl is turned the body of the fish is divided up into various classic Santa Clara designs. There are melon ribs, kiva steps, and cloud designs. Note the depth of the carving on this piece! The bowl is traditionally fired black and signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 400.00
Preston Duwyenie is renown for his elegant pottery which is often highlighted with silver medallions. This seedpot is made from micaceous clay and fired black. The sparkle on the surface comes from the mica clay slip. The lid is cast from cuttlefish bone (a type of squid) and then Preston makes a silver finial to perfectly fit into the seedpot. It is signed on the bottom in the clay with Preston’s hallmark. It is a woman carrying a child on her back, which is also Preston’s Hopi name, which means “carried in beauty”.
$ 500.00
This miniature red jar by Grace Medicine Flower is fully polished and incised. The design is a central medallion with a Mimbres inspired flute player. Around the shoulder are alternating turtles and frogs. The jar is from 1998 and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.
$ 1,600.00
This is an exceptional miniature by Nancy Youngblood. It is one of her very deeply carved melon bowls which swirl down from the neck to the base. There are sixteen ribs and each rib is carved into the clay and fully stone polished. Consider that each rib has two “sides” to be polished and the surface area of the piece is about double its size! This jar also has a lid which is carved to fit exactly into the rim of the bowl. Amazingly, the front and the back of the lid are stone polished! Nancy said of this type of lid:
“The kiva step lid. I saw that design a lot when I was a young girl both on pottery and on my mom’s embroidery. I wanted to try that pattern with a lid. It’s tough to do because lids are so fragile. You have to make it solid and then cut into it to get the shape. Lids are probably some of the hardest things to do with the pottery.” Nancy Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay
The coloration on this bowl is a striking deep red. The deep ribs and the deep color are in perfect to reflect the light at every angle! Nancy has won numerous awards for her melon bowls, and this is undoubtedly a classic of her style! It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 4,800.00
This seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1997. The piece is entitled, “Leaping Grasshoppers”. It includes a signed version of the card which Joseph made for each of his miniatures. There is also a photo of Joseph holding the piece! Joseph wrote partially of this piece,
“Portrayed side view are two geometrically designed and color-toned grasshoppers. Representative of the Mimbres Period – 10th to 14th centuries. Both grasshoppers appear to be leaping. Beneath the plant-eating insects is a higly polished red slipwork symbolic of Mother Earth. Swirled and jagged to denote “Her” terrain, MOther Earth’s surface is only sparsely vegetated.”
The butterfly etched on the back is symbolic of beauty and the the interlocking rings medallion represents the attachment between friends and was the yearly symbol for 1997. This piece was actually purchased at our gallery show for Joseph Lonewolf and Grace Medicine Flower in 1998! Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf 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. The piece is signed on the bottom and includes the signed artist card. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,600.00
This is a charming miniature by Joseph Lonewolf Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf 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. This seedpot is entitled, “Lone Chipmunk”. Joseph wrote of this piece:
“Comprising the front side of this minature is a cheerful, alert, sun-loving little animal, a lone chipmunk. Below the handsome hoarder, at the base, is the symbol of beauty, a tiny butterfly. Encircling the chipmunk and comprising the back side are designs symbolic of sun rays and the natural habitat (of the chipmunk).
The surface is fully polished red and there are additional black, white, green and blue clay slips added to create the colorations. The yearly symbol for 1986 is a “heart” which represents love and Lonewolf says, “in particular a deep devotion for the ancestors and Mother Earth”. The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,600.00
Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf 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. This seedpot is entitled, “Call to the Creatures”. Joseph wrote of this piece:
“The time has come…the People must stock up on food and clothing once again. Standing upon the design symbolic of his pathway, the flute player lifts his flute and calls the creatures on the back side of this creation. Encircled by the musical story coming from his flute, the flute player, symbolic of leadership, tells the rabbit, antelope, ram, and fish to come forth and provide the people all they require”.
This seedpot is very intricately designed with a fourish of the flute player on the piece. There is an additional green clay slip used to highlight the piece. The yearly symbol for 1984 is near the base and it is a rainbow, symbolising a bright future. The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It includes the original card with the information on the piece.
$ 2,000.00
This seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1998. The piece is entitled, “Secreted Fawn”. It includes a signed version of the card which Joseph made for each of his miniatures. This piece was actually made for our show at the gallery with Joseph and Grace Medicine Flower in 1998. Joseph wrote partially of this piece,
“Portrayed against a blue sky background is a single realistically designed Mule Deer fawn, most of which are born in June or July. Nestled, side view, in an abundance of sheltered valley grasses, remote to other members of the heard, the fawn is partially encircled by eight yellow disked, red tipped daisy blossoms, which denote all that is sweet, or pleasant, in life.
Three small realistically designed cabbage white butterflies, symbolic of beauty in life, are portrayed with the fawn. two wings about the new born in a delicate, unhurried flight and one alight on the tip of the newborn’s right ear.”
On the back of the seedpot in the red is a Mule Deer buck, doe and fawn sketched into the clay. They are inspired by the Mimbres pottery designs of the 11th century. The interlocking rings medallion represents the attachment between friends and was the yearly symbol for 1997. Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf 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. The piece is signed on the bottom and includes the signed artist card. There is also a photo of Joseph holding the piece! It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 4,000.00
Sylvia Naha created pieces with the white clay polished surface painted with bee-weed (black) and native clay slips. Throughout the 1980’s, Sylvia was considered among the most innovative of the Hopi potters. Her pieces were classic in form and amazingly intricate in design. This jar has two of her classic designs, the lizards and the corn plants. Each lizard is painted with a series of triangular geometrics. They are painted at a slant on the jar. Separating the lizards are two corn plants. Corn has strong symbolism for prosperity and abundance. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. The jar is signed on the bottom with a feather and an “S”.
$ 800.00
This is a large water jar by Joy Navasie. It is slipped with the white clay and then painted with natural clay slips and bee-weed (black). The shape is a classic for her with a round body and a slightly turned out neck. The neck has a single band of rain and cloud designs. The sides of the jar are fully painted in four panels. Two panels are birds and the other two are bird tail designs. The black painted with bee-weed (a plant) and the red is a deeper red clay she began to use in the 1980’s. The jar is fully polished, even on the inside! It has been traditionally fired so there are some variations in the coloration from white to almost a pinkish color. The jar is signed on the bottom with her Frog Hallmark. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,800.00
Katherine Victorino is a daughter of accomplished Acoma potter Monroe Victorino. She began making pottery at nine years old and attributes her pottery education to her step-mother Beverly Garcia. This jar is a classic water jar or “olla” shape for Acoma with a narrow base, wide shoulder and turned in neck. The jar is coil built and painted with a rain (fine line) design. Below the rain pattern are plant designs. Around the neck is a cloud motif. It combines strong black and white graphics with fine-line Acoma painting. Katherine says, “I started by filling in the lines for my step-mother, and gradually I learned the traditional methods of hand-coil construction and fine line painting (using only yucca brushes) well enough to make pottery full time at the age of twenty.” The intricate designs encompass the entire surface, creating a strong graphic appearance with the contrast of the black and white. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 200.00
Dennis Daubs is known for his intricately incised pottery. Each piece is coil built, stone polished and the imagery is etched into the surface of the clay. This jar has a water serpent around the shoulder of the piece. Above and below are eternity belt patterns. The designs are very intricately etched and note the precision of the lines.
$ 225.00
Katherine Victorino is a daughter of accomplished Acoma potter Monroe Victorino. She began making pottery at nine years old and attributes her pottery education to her step-mother Beverly Garcia. This jar is a classic water jar or “olla” shape for Acoma with a narrow base, wide shoulder and turned in neck. The jar is coil built and the pattern is a turtle shell design. It combines strong black and white graphics with fine-line Acoma painting. Katherine says, “I started by filling in the lines for my step-mother, and gradually I learned the traditional methods of hand-coil construction and fine line painting (using only yucca brushes) well enough to make pottery full time at the age of twenty.” The intricate designs encompass the entire surface, creating a strong graphic appearance with the contrast of the black and white. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 200.00
This is a classic stylized seedpot by Art Cody Haungooah. It is fully polished and etched in his signature “asymmetrical’ manner, meaning there are two medallions but they are not on opposite side, and there is a section which is just plain. In one of the medallions, there are four frogs and a central lily pad. They are surrounded by a feather pattern. The second medallion also has a circle of feathers and in the center is a stylized bird. Separating the two is a design with three prayer feathers. The piece is from 1981 when he signed his work with his name and a flute player. The piece is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.r repair.
To learn more about Art Cody Haungooah, click below:
Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery
$ 600.00
Thomas Natseway is one of the most renown miniaturists in Pueblo pottery. Rarely does he make a piece which is over 1″ tall or wide! This jar is inspired by the Acoma pottery canteens. The jar has three round sections and there are tiny bear “handles” on the top! Both sides are painted with very intricate geometric patterns as one side is series of swirls and the other are geometrics. The shape and style of this piece is inspired by the three chamber canteens of Juana Leno. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 150.00
This is a very early piece by Art Cody Haungooah. It is a tall jar which is fully polished and carved around the shoulder. The carved design is a single feather, which he has etched into to the clay. The remainder of the jar is plain. It was only in 1972 that Art began to make pottery and this piece is signed with his earlies signature, “Haungooah”. It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
To learn more about Art Cody Haungooah, click below:
Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery
$ 100.00
This is a very early piece by Art Cody Haungooah. It is an open bowl and it is fully polished. The design is etched into one side of the piece. There is a single Pueblo style bird with deep etching around the design. The remainder of the bowl is plain. It was only in 1972 that Art began to make pottery and this piece is signed with his earlies signature, “Haungooah”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
To learn more about Art Cody Haungooah, click below:
Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery
$ 250.00
This is an intricately painted lidded jar by Dolores Curran. Before she began making her carved pieces, she was well known for her delicately painted buff-on-red pottery. The jar is fully polished red, as is the lid. The surface is then painted with a cream or buff colored clay which is matte in contrast to the highly polished surface. It’s the painting which is so complex, as Dolores would paint each piece up to five times to get the color of the matte painted areas deep and consistent enough! This piece has a feather pattern encircling the shoulder of the piece. Below the feathers is a water serpent (avanyu) and above are clouds. Around the neck are kiva step patterns. The is a wonderful shape which delicately complements the shape of the jar. The jar is signed on the bottom. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 975.00
Virgil Ortiz is known for his innovative style of Cochiti pottery, inspired by the Monos figures made at the pueblo in the 1880’s. As I wrote in the book, “Virgil Ortiz: Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180,
“This use of the figures for social commentary is where they derived their name, monos. The word is a colloquial blend of Spanish and Keres, with inexact definitions that range from “mimic,” “mocking,” or “cute” to “monkey.” While “monkey” might have suggested the elongated bodies and arms or the simplified open-mouthed faces of the figures, it was also a subtle racial pejorative aimed at their Cochiti makers.”
This is one of Virgil’s traditional clay figures made from native clay and painted with native clays and wild spinach (black). The figure has been traditionally fired. As noted the Monos figures were originally created as objects of social criticism and reflection and Virgil continues on this same path in his contemporary work. This figure is made in the “old style” and as a reference check out the final image by Ben Wittick from the 1880’s. These figures were made with hollow arms and “open” hands. The mouths and eyes were also open. Here Virgil has revived those older technical forms. The designs on the figure a spinach leaf patterns on the vest and pants. The little pocket on the vest and the goatee on the figure are very reminiscent of the early Monos figures, as those were personal identifiers which were incorporated into the design. Note how deeply the black fired on this piece! The earrings are also traditional red clay and added after the firing. It is signed on the bottom and is from 2018.
$ 5,900.00
This is a more classic Hopi-Tewa bowl by Les Namingha. The bowl is a wide, but rounded shape. The design on the top is painted with very small shard or mosaic patterns. Each of the tiny shards has different designs. Note as well in various sections how some are all checkerboard, while others are snow patterns and some are traditional Hopi designs. Each of the sections is separated by asymmetric bands which criss-cross the top of the bowl. The side of the bowl is painted with five different clay slips which alternate around the piece. Some are polished and some are matte. Below the checkerboard pattern is another band of shard designs. At the base of the bowl, there is a spiraling water design interspersed with Les’s pointillism. The coloration and the intricacy of the design are spectacular on this piece. Les is a descendant of Nampeyo and learned to make pottery from his aunt Dextra Quotskuyva. It is signed on the bottom. Les said of this style of his work:
“I was studying minimalist and geometric painters. This led to merging contemporary abstract patterns with Hopi mosaic designs. The subtle combination still maintained the design balance while decreasing the use of mosaic elements. It was refreshing to introduce minimalist ideas into the intense painting process.”
$ 3,400.00
This is an unusual figurative piece by Jennie Trammel. She was a daughter of Margaret Tafoya. Over the years Jennie did not make a lot of pottery as she lived a very private life and was virtually never involved in markets or gallery shows. However, she created striking pottery with classic shapes and designs which were distinctive to her work. This turtle is highly polished and painted black-on-black with a rain design. It is a charming piece and unusual to see a figurative piece of her pottery. The entire piece is fully polished and it is signed in the clay on the underside, “Jennie Trammel”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 175.00
This is an unusual bird fire by Margaret Tafoya is from the 1960’s. The bird is fully polished and the wings and tail are painted black-on-black. The painting is delicate and the designs are meant to symbolize the wings and tail feathers. The entire piece is fully stone polished and it is fired black. Margaret would often make these bird figures for tourists visiting the pueblo as well as to use up clay before preparing a new batch for her pottery. The bird in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is a small blister on the head and a just a bit of wear on the inside “bowl” part of the bird. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret”. It is charming piece reflective of the variety of pottery she made throughout her career!
$ 675.00
This bowl is unsigned from around 1936. It is stone polished and has a lightning design around the neck (or a very stylized avanyu) and triangular design around the shoulder. The triangles have hatchwork painting and there are small dots around the lightning. While it is unsigned, the sticker on the bottom is from the 1936 Santa Fe Indian Market. It’s always fascinating to find pieces with these stickers. The bowl is in very good condition with cracks, restoration or repair. There is one little chip on the inside of the rim. Definitely a piece of history!
$ 150.00
This is a classic bowl by Ramona Gonzales. Ramona was known for her delicately painted pottery. This bowl has a cloud and rain pattern painted on the shoulder. It is a strong graphic image on the bowl. It was fired a deep black with some areas of gunmetal coloration. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Ramona”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is definitely a classic piece of her pottery!
Click here to learn more about the Early San Ildefonso Innovators!
$ 800.00
This is a striking larger bowl by Juanita Pena. This bowl is an earlier piece of her pottery. It is fully polished and painted with a rain design. The little “dots” of rain on the design are definitely a signature of her painting style. The designs are definitely an unusual one with the geometric flow of pattern from one section to the next. The bowl is highly polished and fired a deep black. It is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair. There are some light surface scratches. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Juanita”.
$ 1,200.00
This is a classic wide shoulder jar by Helen Naha, also known as “Feather Woman”. She created distinctive pottery using the white clay slip throughout her career. The designs were all painted using bee-weed (black) and natural clay slips. She learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law, Paqua Naha yet had her own style in form, imagery, and composition. Helen is known for her revival of the pre-historic Awatovi pottery. Awatovi is one of the ruins near Hopi where a white slipped style of pottery was made. It is a fascinating place as it was where Coronado made contact with the Hopi in 1540. During the excavations in the 1930’s the whiteware pottery was rediscovered. It was the imagery from his work which inspired much of Helen’s early pottery, as opposed the more classic Sikyatki inspired pottery of Nampeyo. This jar has the “Awatovi Star” pattern painted on the top and the bottom. The shape of the jar has a more open mouth, which reveals more of the painted imagery when viewing from the side. Just above the shoulder is her “eternity band” design. The inside of the bowl is also polished, which Helen tried to do on most of her pottery when she could reach her hand inside. The jar has been traditionally fired and there is some variation to the color with the fired cloud, which certainly adds to the beauty of the piece. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom with her hallmark feather.
$ 2,800.00
I should start off by saying that is one of the tallest pieces we have had by Daryl Whitegeese. Next, sometimes a photo just doesn’t do a piece justice and this is one of those times. I realize looking at the photo that the top band looks “wavy” when in fact it is perfectly even. I had a hard time capturing the size, shine and carving on this large jar. I went for the polish and shape. The jar is an elegant form with a tall shoulder which turns in and then rises up to the tall neck. It is this proportionality which creates such an elegance to this piece. The center of the jar is fully carved with a design which depicts the mesa and the clouds , along with the rain and lightning designs. the carving is deep and the edges are VERY sharp. This style of carving has become a ‘signature’ for Daryl’s pottery. The jar is stone polished and it a glassy black surface. Note as well the edge of the rim of the jar and how he has polished into the rim! The size, shape and design all work perfectly on this piece. It is signed on the bottom in the clay. Daryl has won numerous awards at Santa Fe Indian Market and other events. He remains one of the exciting traditional potters working today! Simply stunning!
$ 5,700.00
Susan “Snowflake” Romero’s pottery is highly polished and intricately etched with detailed imagery. She learned to make pottery from her father, Joseph Lonewolf. This seedpot has a realistic style of butterfly on the top. The butterfly is surrounded by flowers. There are various levels of etching on the piece, including some wonderful areas which are just tan. The polishing has created a high shine. The seepot is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair and signed on the bottom.
$ 325.00
This is a striking collaborative jar by Jennifer Tafoya Moquino and Jason Ebelacker. Jason is a grandson of Virginia Ebelacker and a great-grandson of Margaret Tafoya. He continues in the family tradition of making large vessels. The water jar is one of his striking shapes with a wide shoulder and then is has a sharp, flat curve and a second shoulder as it extends up to the neck! The rim of the jar is slightly turned out and polished on the inside. The jar has two bear paws and it is fired a deep red coloration. The surface of the jar is etched by Jennifer Tafoya Moquino. She is known for her realistic etched designs. On this jar Jennifer has etched a series of cherry blossoms around the surface of the jar. It is a simple but elegant design which leaves open spaces to reveal the polishing. The petals and branches add just a slight detail to the surface of the jar. It is a striking combination of design and shape. Jennifer & Jason have collaborated on numerous pieces winning awards for their distinctive collaborations. This jar won a Second Place ribbon at the 2018 Heard Indian Market. It is exciting to see potters push beyond their comfort level in size and complexity of design.
$ 4,200.00
This larger bowl by Les Namingha is as part of his “Lyrical” series of Nampeyo birds. Les says of these pieces:
In the Lyrical Series, my goal is to work with various colors. Sunrise, sunset, dusk, or other types of blending and washing of colors. In complement to that I use various bird designs by Nampeyo of Hano. The birds are often painted in the style they appear on the pottery so they are more detailed and contrast against the colors behind them.
He is certainly one of those potters who continues to defy expectations in his innovative clay art. He pulls from his artistic background as well as his Zuni and Hopi heritage. This dramatic bowl has four “thunderbirds” as the surface design. Les says he was inspired by a black-and-white on red bowl by Nampeyo of Hano made around 1901 (see last photo). The birds painted by Nampeyo are stylized and make one think about both Fred Harvey jewelry and Northwest coast designs. Here the birds are painted black-and-white on a red background. Behind the birds are stylized bird wings and linear graphics. The colors spiral around the bowl much like the Thunderbird designs. It is always fascinating when an artist is able to look back at a historic vessel and reinterpret it through modern eyes! It is signed on the bottom. The ancient and modern are perfectly balanced in this bowl!
$ 3,600.00
This is a stunning water jar by Russell Sanchez. He continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery. Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched. The shape is a classic San Ildefonso form with the wide round shoulder. Note how after the shoulder there is almost a flatness to the jar before the neck. I took some of the photos straight on just to show how perfectly symmetrical the jar is in form! This proportionality is technically difficult to achieve. The jar is etched with a water serpent (avanyu) before it is fired. The rim of the jar has 16 melon ribs carved into the clay. The matchup with the 16 ribs which are deeply carved into the lid. The ribs on the lid are slipped with a micaceous clay which when fired is almost metallic in color! The top of the lid is fully polished to again compliment the polished surface of the jar. The polishing on this jar is stunning that he is able to achieve such an amazing polish just using a stone! Check out the neck and the base and the high shine is easily seen. There are four bands of jet hei-shi beads which are inset into the jar around the neck and shoulder. They separate bands of checkerboard mica and matt sections. The checkerboard use of the mica is subtle but stunning! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay. The last photos are some of the jar being fired (red before firing, in the fire, out of the fire but now black and surrounded by the manure and finally Russell holding the jar after it is fired).
Russell says of his work:
“I don’t let a pot go until I think it’s ready. I’ve had pots sitting there for months that I don’t think are ready, and then an idea will come, from anywhere, anytime, and it’s like, OK, that’s what this pot needs. That’s what they tell you at home [on the pueblo]: When the time is ready, it will happen. That’s when you finish up and let it go.”
$ 8,800.00
This is a very creative box by Russell Sanchez. The shape is inspired by the historic San Ildefonso boxes from the 1920’s. Here, Russell has furthered the connection to the historic pieces with his focus on the polychrome coloration. The red is a very deep coloration and the same deep red as used in the 1920’s. The black areas are a black micaceous clay which he has polished. When the red or black areas are etched away, they leave exposed clay, which is tan in coloration. That creates the polychrome coloration, which are the same three tonalities used in early San Ildefonso pottery.
The box itself is inspired by the painting of Florentino Montoya form the early 1900’s. This box has two sides of red and two sides of black. The lid is half black and half red. The lid can also be set for the black to match up, or for it to be a contrast. Florentino was famous for his alternating and switching of colors on his painted designs. Here the lid has very delicately etched fine-line patterns which represent the mountain lions when they are drawn as petroglyphs. The sides of the box are etched in two sections with cloud and rain designs. The medallions are unique in design. Russell has etched and textured the mountain lions in each of the medallions. They are much in the style of the animal imagery seen on San Ildefonso pottery before 1900. The mountain lion design is an equally significant one on this piece as Russell says here that the mountain lions represent the twin war gods who protect the village. Each of the medallions is surrounded by a band of hei-shi beads. Again, the medallions are the opposite color of the surrounding clay. The box was traditionally fired and the result is a striking coloration, especially for the red. The box is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,800.00
This classic water jar by Russell Sanchez is a modern take on historic San Ildefonso pottery. This jar is focused on the complexity of form and color and just the simplest addition of etched design. The shape of the jar is inspired by the historic Pueblo water jar with a round shoulder and turned out rim. The colors on this jar are all from natural clay slips and they are simply stunning. The deep red is the same red clay which was used in the 1920’s. The black areas are a black micaceous clay which he has polished. On this piece, the black is an even coloration, which further enhances the red. The base of the jar has 28 indented gourd or melon rib sections. They are deeply carved into the clay creating an undulating appearance. The base then comes up to the shoulder and there is just a slight dip in the jar before extending up to the neck. The photo of the jar on its side reveals the depth of the indention at the shoulder. This is technically difficult to create. The neck of the jar is straight and the rim is flat. Amazingly, the inside of the rim is carved with melon ribs creating the “waterfall rim”. The rim is polished red while the melon section is polished with black mica. There is a single section which is matte and inset with jet stones and surrounded on both sides by turquoise hei-shi beads. Check out the tiny incised dots on the rim and neck of the jar. They are a subtle but striking addition. The jar also has a lid, which is carved with gourd sections and they alternate between matte and black mica. The top of the lid if fully polished red. There are inset jet stones on the end of the lid and the top has a piece of turquoise. The lid is a wonderful addition, as it covers the “waterfall” leaving it as a surprise when the lid is removed. The deep red on the lid also matches the deep red on the neck of the jar. The jar is traditionally fired outside and it is signed in the clay on the bottom.
$ 6,800.00
Cliff Roller is a son of noted potter Toni Roller. Each piece is coil built and stone polished. This bowl is carved four bear paws as the designs. The bear paws are symbolic of a Pueblo story where the bear leads the people to water during a drought. Here the bear paws are each deeply carved into the clay and polished. The remainder of the bowl is fully polished to a very high shine. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Cliff Roller”. This bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. While these days Cliff makes very little pottery, his work remains a statement to his skill as a potter!
$ 400.00
This is a low shoulder water jar by Samuel Manymules. It is coil built and slipped with a red clay and then traditionally fired. The jar has a stone polished neck and the ribs extend from the shoulder swirling down to the base. The swirl is low, giving the jar a striking appearance. The ribs are pushed out from the inside and very angular. The coloration of the jar is more subtle with red and light black areas. The color is created by the traditional outdoor firing. After the firing the jar is the covered with pine pitch in the traditional way expected of Navajo pottery. It is extraordinary vessels like this which keep Samuel among the top Navajo potters working today.
$ 1,625.00
This jar by Alice Cling has a narrow base and has an asymmetrical rim. The idea is that the rim looks like the mountains and mesas in the Southwest. This jar is fully polished red and then fired outdoors. The stunning variation in the color are from the smoke and fire. The colors on this piece vary from tan to black to a deep red. The jar was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof. Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”
$ 225.00
This is an original clay piece by Roxanne Swentzell. She is well known for her clay masks and their unique expressiveness. This mask is a charming smaller piece of her work. The face has great expression and a lot of detail on the mouth and eyes. It is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed in the clay, “ROX”.
$ 1,000.00
This is a classic jar by Alice Cling. It has a high shoulder and a square mouth. The entire jar is fully polished and then it is outdoor fired and the stunning variation in the color is from the smoke and fire. The fire clouds on this jar are stunning with areas that range from deep red to black. The piece was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when the pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof. Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”
$ 200.00
Margaret Lou Gutierrez was the only daughter of noted potters Tonita & Juan Roybal. She began making pottery in the 1970’s. This bowl is one of her few plates. The surface is stone polished and painted with a classic feather design. The back is matte. Her feathers always had distinctive sharp appearance in their shape. The plate is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the back in the clay, “Margaret Lou Gutierrez”.
$ 950.00
This is a charming plate by Joe Aguilar. He began his career painting pottery for his mother, Susana Aguilar, He also made pottery with his wife, Rosalie, through the 1940’s. In the 1950’s, after the passing of Rosalie, he created a fascinating group of polychrome pottery including both plates and vessels. He was one of the few potters at the time still using traditional techniques for the polychrome or black-on-white pottery. This plate is painted with a stylized koshari clown as the design. Off to the side is a dog sitting, watching the dancer. It is an unusual design, as koshari are rarely if ever depicted in Pueblo pottery. I was told that he was part of the clown group and so that is why he was able to paint the clowns on his pottery. The plate is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the back, “Joe Aguilar”. It is from the Dick Howard collection and his inventory number is still on the back.
For more information on the
$ 800.00
This is certainly one of the most exceptional pieces we have seen by Joe Aguilar. He began his career painting pottery for his mother, Susana Aguilar, He also made pottery with his wife, Rosalie, through the 1940’s. In the 1950’s, after the passing of Rosalie, he created a fascinating group of polychrome pottery including both plates and vessels. He was one of the few potters at the time still using traditional techniques for the polychrome or black-on-white pottery. This unique piece is a terraced bowl. The mountain steps are on one side and the center of the bowl is meant to represent the lake below the mountains. There are two avanyu painted along the interior sides of the bowl. The bowl was traditionally fired and there is a slight dark cast to the cream colored clay due to the smoke in the firing. The interesting part of the firing, however, is that on the bottom you can see fingerprints of where he handled the bowl before it was fired! The bowl is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom, “Joe Aguilar”.
For more information on the
$ 950.00
Joe Aguilar began his career painting pottery for his mother, Susana Aguilar, He also made pottery with his wife, Rosalie, through the 1940’s. In the 1950’s, after the passing of Rosalie, he created a fascinating group of polychrome pottery including both plates and vessels. He was one of the few potters at the time still using traditional techniques and designs for his work. This wide bowl is slipped red on the inside and creame on the outside. It is painted in black with a rain cloud and rain designs. The use of the lines in his design was a signature of his painting. On this bowl the pattern is repeated four times. The bowl is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom, “Joe Aguilar”.
For more information on the
$ 650.00
This is a classic design on a clay tile by Virgil Ortiz. The design is taken from his Revolt 1680/2180 series. The figure is one of the Pueblo Warriors from the Venutian Soldier series of his work. It is a powerful story of the connection between man and the environment. The figure is intricately painted with an amazing sense of motion. The tile has a wildflower design on the back. There is also Virgil’s signature “Turkey track” which looks like an “x”. The tile uses native clay, native clay slips and wild spinach (the black). The piece is signed on the back. The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.
In the book, “Revolt”, I wrote about these as follows:
In the summer of 2012 Ortiz premiered his “Venutian Soldiers’. The story of the Pueblo Revolt was becoming more evolved and Ortiz was able to have fun developing more background for his characters and the events before the Revolt 2180. “I have created Native Superheroes in the form of clay, photography, video and film, which allows me the freedom to express my personal interpretation of the REVOLT – The First American Revolution. The Venutian Soldiers are futurist, herculean superheroes, over eight feet tall, who fight mainly at nighttime and possess extraordinary strength and magical powers”. Here the Venutian Soldiers reflect the destruction of pueblos by the Spanish during their original conquest. In their future version, it is the Castilians who have destroyed their ‘world’ and the Venutian Soldiers are the embodiment of this devastation. Their environment has been destroyed through nuclear weapons causing the Venutian Soldiers to use oxygen tanks and gas masks to survive. This story is a thoughtful embodiment of a world overrun and the natural order destroyed yet survivable by the sense of “Pueblo community”. The Venutians are lead by Tahu and Kootz to find a hospitable land and “rebuild their traditions and ways of life on ancestral sacred lands”.
$ 650.00
This is a classic design on a clay tile by Virgil Ortiz. The design is taken from his Revolt 1680/2180 series. The figure is one of the Pueblo Warriors from the Venutian Soldier series of his work. It is a powerful story of the connection between man and the environment. The figure is intricately painted with an amazing sense of motion. The tile has a wildflower design on the back. There is also Virgil’s signature “Turkey track” which looks like an “x”. The tile uses native clay, native clay slips and wild spinach (the black). The piece is signed on the back. The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.
In the book, “Revolt”, I wrote about these as follows:
In the summer of 2012 Ortiz premiered his “Venutian Soldiers’. The story of the Pueblo Revolt was becoming more evolved and Ortiz was able to have fun developing more background for his characters and the events before the Revolt 2180. “I have created Native Superheroes in the form of clay, photography, video and film, which allows me the freedom to express my personal interpretation of the REVOLT – The First American Revolution. The Venutian Soldiers are futurist, herculean superheroes, over eight feet tall, who fight mainly at nighttime and possess extraordinary strength and magical powers”. Here the Venutian Soldiers reflect the destruction of pueblos by the Spanish during their original conquest. In their future version, it is the Castilians who have destroyed their ‘world’ and the Venutian Soldiers are the embodiment of this devastation. Their environment has been destroyed through nuclear weapons causing the Venutian Soldiers to use oxygen tanks and gas masks to survive. This story is a thoughtful embodiment of a world overrun and the natural order destroyed yet survivable by the sense of “Pueblo community”. The Venutians are lead by Tahu and Kootz to find a hospitable land and “rebuild their traditions and ways of life on ancestral sacred lands”.
$ 650.00
Jamie Peynetsa is the son of noted potters Anderson and Avelia Peynetsa. Avelia, his mother, coil builds the clay vessel. Jamie paints the design. He has a strong attention to the detail of the painting as well as his inspiration from classic Zuni pottery. This jar is very tightly painted with rain designs above the shoulder. The thin lines are even and add complexity to the piece. The sides of the jar are boldly painted with lightning patterns. Note how well Jamie paints to match design and form. It is signed by Jamie and his mother on the bottom. At only 20 years old, he certainly has a great future in pottery!
$ 600.00
This is a classic wide shoulder water jar by Jason Ebelacker. The jar is an elegant shape with the very wide shoulder and turned out rim. This shape of water jar is one which is often seen in the work of his great-grandmother Margaret Tafoya. Here Jason has created a jar with a double shoulder or “rainbow rim”. The key to making a jar of this shape is to accentuate the round shoulder and the curves of the neck. He has impressed a bear paw as part of the design. The paws represent the story of the bear who saved the village from a flood and they are represented on vessels which hold water. The jar is stone polished to a high shine and then traditionally fired. The jar has a high polish and a very deep black coloration. Jason is a son of noted potter Richard Ebelacker and grandson of Virginia Ebelacker. He has won numerous awards for his pottery and continues to be one of the important younger potters to watch. Pottery at this level of creativity and quality are certainly a reflection of both his talent and the future!
$ 3,600.00
Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano make an amazing team, working to create innovative pottery using traditional techniques. Lisa makes the pottery and it is painted by Harlan. This figure is a dragon/dog. It creatively combines both a pueblo and Asian influence. The dragon is hollow and the body has a spiraling appearance. The body is complex and the various spines add an exceptional sense of depth to this piece! The turned head is just perfect! The body is painted with bee-weed (black) and a red clay slip. On the back legs is a wild spinach design. On the sides is a flower pattern. The back and legs has a mosaic lightning pattern which Harlan often uses on his pottery. The small clay tabs which are added are the natural color of the clay, adding another dimension to the piece. The materials are all traditional as the red and cream are both native clays while the black is wild spinach (a plant). This figure was also traditionally fired outdoors. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 6,000.00
Elizabeth Medina is known for traditional style of Zia pottery. Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays and native fired. Did you know that Zia potters mix volcanic basalt into their clay to give it strength? The surface of this jar is painted with a series of birds and roadrunners, which are often depicted on Zia pottery. Here there are two large sections with birds, each highly detailed. Separating them are two smaller bird medallions. Note the hatchwork designs near the rim and the flower patterns. There are three different colors used on the jar, a tan, red and a brown clay. It is always more difficult to work in multiple colors of clay! The lid of the jar has a turtle and the flat part of the lid is red, while the turtle has a bird on its back! The jar is signed on the side, “Elizabeth Medina, Zia”.
$ 400.00
Eiva Lalo Nampeyo is a daughter of Elva Tewaguna Namepyo, a granddaughter of Fannie Nampeyo, the great-granddaughter of the Nampeyo of Hano. She is as sister to potters Adelle, Miriam Nampeyo, Elton Tweaguna and Neva Namepyo. She learned to make pottery from her mother and grandmother. This jar is a striking variation on the classic bat wing design. Here there is a linear pattern above the shoulder which then extends down to the bat wing patterns. The red clay slip is used to highlight the bat wings. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 195.00
Adelle Lalo Nampeyo is known for her stylistic use of traditional Hopi designs. This wide bowl is a classic shape with a wide shoulder. The design is the classic bat wing pattern, made famous by Nampeyo of Hano. The opening is slipped red and the remainder is painted with intricate lines. The bowl is traditionally fired to create the coloration on the surface of the jar. The coloration works beautifully with this piece with shades from white to orange. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 150.00
Dextra Quostkuyva Nampeyo is certainly one of the most influential Hopi-Tewa potters of the last 50 years. Not only has she taught numerous potters (Steve Lucas, Yvonne Lucas, Les Namingha, Loren Ami, Hisi Nampeyo, to name just a few), but her creative designs and forms changed have dramatically influenced the pottery itself. This is a fascinating bowl which has two openings. On one side there is a flower painted on the clay with a tiny hummingbird. The other side has a black painted star pattern. The bowl is signed on the inside. The bowl sits on a clay tile, which has been traditionally fired and is also signed in the clay. The fine lines of the painting, along with the blush from the traditional firing make this an exceptional piece of her pottery. It is painted with red clay slips along with bee-weed (black). It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Dextra was the subject of a retrospective of her pottery at the Museum of Indian Art and Culture, along with a companion book entitled, “Painted Perfection“.
$ 4,000.00
Tina Diaz has skillfully created her own unique style of carving pottery. She is one of only a handful of Santa Clara potters who has mastered the technique of polishing her pottery tan. The tan is the natural color of the clay and the most difficult to polish to achieve a high shine. This red and tan jar is fully carved. There is a bird and cloud design on one side in the red. As the jar is turned the lightning design is carved and polished tan. She uses the negative space of the jar to create additional cloud motifs. The neck and base of the jar polished red. Note the various sections which create swirls and various angles for the design. It is always technically difficult to carve such sharp angles and delicate edges into the clay. The background has the traditional cream colored slip, which few potters use today because it is difficult to apply. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 950.00
Dominguita Sisneros Naranjo is a daughter of noted Ohkay Owingeh potter Tomasita Montoya and a sister of Rosita de Herrera. This bowl is coil built and the top rim is pushed down in an undulating manner. The top and bottom are fully polished red. Interestingly, this is either an early piece of her pottery, or she found some of her mother’s old slip, as the red on this piece is the deep red from the earlier Ohkay Owingeh pottery. The body of the bowl is tan polished and incised with a mesa and cloud motif. The incised area is lightly slipped with a micaceous clay. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dominguita Sisneros”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 175.00
Tomasita Montoya is one of the early revivalists in San Juan pottery. She was one of the original seven San Juan potters who revived the art form in the 1930’s. The Pueblo was renown for their pottery but by about 1890 there were no potters left. In 1930 Regina Cata organized a pottery study group at San Juan Pueblo with the intent of revitalizing pottery production. The group studied ancient potsherds of wares made at San Juan in earlier times and selected Potsuwi‘i Incised Ware (1450-1500) as a basis for a contemporary pottery type. This jar is one of her classic incised water jars. The neck and base are both fully polished red. The center section is incised with a square pattern. There is just a bit of mica used to highlight the incised designs. This jar is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tomasita Montoya”.
$ 500.00
Ida Redbird is one of the best known of the potters involved in the revival of Maricopa pottery from 1937-40. She was featured in Arizona Highways in 1948. Her pottery is made using a paddle-and-anvil technique and they are twice fired. This is one of her few plainware pieces. It is larger in size and fully polished on the outside. Although it is plain, it is a great color and a classic of Maricopa pottery! It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Ida Redbird” on the bottom. It comes with the newspaper article about her passing in 9171.
$ 400.00
This is an exceptional miniature seedpot by Rosemary Lonewolf! It is fully designed with three birds and a band of flowers around the shoulder. Spiraling around the top of the seedpot is a feather design and there is a small flower on the very top! Rosemary has added additional white and blue colorations for the clay on this piece. The various colors are all derived from natural clay slips. The seedpot is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 800.00
This is a classic miniature long neck jar by Grace Medicine Flower is from 1993. It is fully polished and the area around the body of the piece is fully designed. There is a butterfly on one side and around the shoulder are cloud and rain designs. Note the various levels of etched into the clay on the butterfly! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks restoration or repair.
$ 975.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light: Maidens to Mantas”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This tile is inspired by the painting “Water Carriers” by Walter Ufer. Susan says of this piece:
Tiles are always so difficult to make, but I wanted to challenge myself to do one that is exceptionally large. In the original painting by Walter Ufer, the coloration of the blue is so intense. I wanted to soften it so that the clay would have room to breathe. When you have a painting that is powerful, I leave the faces undefined so that it is not a “copy” but it leaves them to the imagination. The “frame” became one of my very intricate “bejeweled” designs. I want the little squares to look like turquoise, coral, silver, and gold.
The tile is intricately etched around the edge to create a tile or mosaic appearance. The central design is delicately painted and captures the women and the pottery. There is a striking sense of movement and the use of the natural clay for the color of the background is perfect! The til is signed on the front.
$ 2,400.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light: Maidens to Mantas”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by a painting by Victor Higgins. Susan says of this jar:
“This painting by Higgins is a powerful piece. I really wanted to be able to capture the “Higgins Clouds” (last image). They are the kind of clouds which you only see in Northern New Mexico. I put the lid on the jar with the tightly basket to create a greater sense of intimacy than it just being an open vessel.
The jar is a tall shape and the white areas are a textured white slip. The figures are painted so that the clay can be seen in the background of the piece. Again, the texture of the clay plays an important part of the vessel. The lid is wonderful with the tightly painted basket and the handle. The jar is signed on the bottom.
“Viewing Susan Folwell’s intricately designed pottery is like reading a book, as each piece must be turned, examined and viewed from different angles to understand the whole story.” American Indian Art Magazine, 2005
$ 2,200.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light: Maidens to Mantas”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This tile is inspired by the “Water Carriers” painting by Walter Ufer. Susan says of this piece:
My newest pieces serve as commentaries and reflections on the classic Taos Society of Artists Work. I specifically want to focus on their portrayal of Native Women. The use of the tile format allows me to create my own “painting”. Here I added the shelf or “bench” to the tile and made four additional pieces of pottery which are attached to the tile. I like the idea of the painting becoming 3-D, just like a piece of pottery!
The tile has the women painted carrying water jars on their heads. In the foreground are four small pieces of pottery which are attached to the tile. There is a black water jar, a red and tan polished bowl, a tan polished bowl and a tiny black and white bowl. The back of the tile is also fully designed with a textured pattern with dots. There is almost the feeling of a shawl or cloth to the texture and coloration. The tile is signed on the front.
$ 1,450.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This large jar is part of her new series for, “Peering through Taos Light”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by a Hennings painting of two twins who moved to Taos. Susan says of this piece:
“What attracted me to this painting was the striking look of the twins. They were the Baumgartner brothers who relocated to Taos. I appreciated the painting captured the essence of the time they lived. I wanted to do a flask as the shape to accentuate the landscape. I went a bit “free” form on the shape, but it billows behind them, like the clouds. The back panel are flowers local to Taos and New Mexico and the painted and etched the basket on the bottom. I love how the basket seems to be both holding them and they seem to be floating out of it as well. It’s all like a dream.”
This large jar is both painted and etched. Note on the figures how Susan has etched away the figures to create both depth and bring out the natural color of the clay. The “lid” for the flask is cork. The shape, design and story all fit together perfectly on this amazing large vessel! The last photos here are the actual painting for comparison. The pieces are signed on the bottom.
$ 11,000.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light: Maidens to Mantas”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by the painting “Water-Grass” by Bert Phillips. Davison Koening, the Director of the E.I. Couse Foundation in Taos, NM noted that the early paintings by many of the Taos artists were ethnographic in orientation. As a result, the title, such as “Water-Grass”, would often simply be the name of the subject in the painting. Susan says of this piece:
“On this piece, I had created the open bowl and then I saw the Phillips portrait of “Water-Grass”. As with much of my recent work, I wanted to be able to honor and reflect on the women in these paintings by the Taos Artists. This image was perfect for the shape, as it almost felt as if I was painting a cameo in a shell. There was an unexpected intimacy in the hand-held size of the open bowl and the detail for her clothing and jewelry. I painted the intricately etched detail on her jewlery to have it own lumininescence. The bowl itself is like a shell that could be held. The back is textured and painted to look like a turtle shell. I put her name, “Water-Grass” on the front to honor her and the endurance of Native women.”
The open bowl is painted in the center with the portrait of “Water-Grass”. Scan in close and you can see how Susan has incised the hair and necklace, so there is an intricacy in the technique and design which is unexpected. The space around the figure reveals the coloration of the clay. The back is almost the “surprise” as it is highly textured and the coloration is to have the feel of a turtle shell. It is signed on the back.
$ 1,500.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Peering through Taos Light”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by the painting “Passing By” by Ernest Hennings. Susan says of this piece,
“In the painting, it is a scene with the two women walking down the lane. When I was working on this jar in Taos, it was the first snow of the season. I deiced to make it a snow scene instead of an autumn scene.
The color of the jar is the key to this piece. It captures the mood of the sky after a snow and at sunset. The piece is mostly matte, with a single band of the Folwell family “x’s” etched into the clay. The figures are painted but note the use etching around the plants, which gives them just a slight sense of relief. Sometimes less is more and the strength of the design is powerful enough for the jar. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 4,400.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her continuing series for, “Peering through Taos Light”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by painting by Bert Phillips. The jar features Taos Pueblo women with baskets of corn. The designs are painted and etched into the clay. The rim of the jar has been wet so that it has a “crackled” appearance. Susan said she wanted it to have a utilitarian feel, much like the baskets the women are holding. The figures are each intricately painted and etched. The original Phillips painting is the last image. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,600.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light”. This jar combines her love of Pop-Art with Pueblo imagery. Here there are two young women wearing tablitas on their heads for Feast Day The area behind them has been left the natural color of the clay. The shoulder of the jar has been indented, almost reminding one of the bread made during Feast Day in the horno ovens. However, it is the base of the jar which is dynamic. Susan has etched and carved into the clay with a series of rows which she has then painted to have the appearance of a stone mosaic! Each band is a different size, as is each of the various squares and rectangles. The imagery here is evocative not only of the hei-shi beads and jewelry worn during Feast Day, but also the beauty of the stones and how when set in this manner almost seem to replicate the horizon. The jar is signed on the bottom.
“Susan has been experimenting with textured surfaces, creating a “bejeweled” effect that looks like turquoise, coral, silver, and gold.” “Taos Light”.
Native Art Magazine, April 2018
$ 2,600.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series for, “Taos Light: Maidens to Mantas”. The focus is on Susan re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. This jar is inspired by the painting “The Bakers” by Walter Ufer. Susan says of this piece,
I made this jar to have a very open and organic appearance. I wanted to capture the fun and intensity of Pueblo women getting ready for Feast Day. There is so much movement in the clouds and sky and there was an unexpected translucence when I put on the clay slip. It made me want to keep the clay showing and create a piece which was more subtle. The use of the layers of rope around the neck are the passing of the legacy of Feast Day and baking bread from one generation to another.
The jar is a large but organic shape with a wide body and indented neck. The rim of the jar is fully incised to create the appearance of the rope. The body of the piece is painted with the scenes of Pueblo women baking bread. The clouds are intricately painted with small dots and note how the background areas has large swaths of white clay slip against the natural color of the clay. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 4,900.00
Stetson Setalla is a son of noted potter Pauline Setalla. This wide bowl is fully painted triangular mountain designs along with cloud patterns. The designs are intricately painted with hatchwork and geometric patterns. The bowl is coil built and painted with bee-weed and natural clay slips. Note the various colors he has used on this bowl, which is certainly unusual! The bowl is traditionally fired with striking fire clouds on the surface. Interestingly, the first time I met Stetson was through the famous photographer Jerry Jacka, around 1998. Jerry was photographing Stetson’s pottery for is book on Hopi art and asked Stetson to stay until I arrived so I could see his pottery! Definitely a talented potter from the very beginning! This bowl is signed on the bottom.
$ 800.00
Kaa Folwell is one of the exciting young potters working today. In 2018 she is graduating from IAIA, which certainly adds an educational component to a lifetime of making pottery in her renowned family. This large bowl has a wide shoulder and a slight neck. The outside of the bowl is etched and then painted. The designs are graffiti style clouds and lightning. The spiral and flow around the surface of the bowl. The contrast of the painted surfaces with the texture of the clay body works perfectly for both the feel and the visual. In various places around the designs are the Folwell family “x” design. Not only is the bowl painted and etched, but the entire interior is fully painted as well. The strength of the exterior design continues on the interior. It is a beautiful balance of color, form, and design. The bowl is signed on the bottom. We are excited to see more from this young potter!
$ 1,500.00
Kaa Folwell is one of the exciting young potters working today. This jar has an asymmetrical shape around the rim. The coloration is achieved by polishing the top and bottom areas red and the center tan. The area around the shoulder is fully incised with “graffiti” designs. There is a striking flow of design and the various levels of design. It is a beautiful balance of color, form, and design. We are excited to see more from this young potter!
$ 400.00
This is a fascinating piece by Virginia Romero. She is one of the great names in keeping micaceous pottery alive at Taos Pueblo. This bowl is one of her pieces from the 1967 and it is micaceous clay (clay with mica), which was often used for utilitarian pottery. The bowl has a “hobnail” design, which are the bumps which encircle the rim of the piece. There are some great fire clouds on the bowl. Interestingly, it has been over four years since we had a piece of her pottery come back to the gallery! The bowl is signed and dated on the bottom, “Virginia Romero, 12/67”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 125.00
This is an exceptional large carved jar by Toni Roller. She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery. This large jar is a striking shape with a high shoulder and a slight neck. Around the shoulder are 32 carved feathers as the design. Toni has a distinctive style of carved feather she uses for her pottery, with a rounded edge at the base. The lower section of the jar is carved with a kiva step and mountain pattern. It is a subtle complement to the complex carving of the feathers. The jar is fully polished and a striking example of her work. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Toni Roller” and dated February 2018.
$ 4,000.00
This jar by Alice Cling has a mountain step design carved shape to the rim. The remainder of the jar is highly polished red but note that she has added a band of green clay slip around the rim of the jar. It creates a striking visual contrast after the firing. The jar is traditionally fired and ranges in color from brown to a deep red to black. The piece was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof. Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”
$ 180.00
This is one of the larger jars we have had from Alice Cling. The jar has a high shoulder and an elongated neck. The entire jar is highly polished red. It is then outdoor fired and the stunning variation in the color are from the smoke and fire. The fire clouds on this jar are stunning with areas that range from deep red to black to a deep red. The jar was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pine pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof. Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”
$ 500.00
Paula Estevan has built a reputation for her highly detailed painted pottery. This jar is more “trompe l’oile” than “op-art”. The jar is thin-walled and one of the largest pieces of her pottery we have had in the gallery. The design, however, does fool the eye as the lighting pattern which extends from the neck to the base give the piece added dimension. It is spectacular painting on this jar and a reflection of how Paula continues to be one of the leaders of Acoma pottery.
$ 550.00
Seferina Ortiz is the matriarch of a family of renowned potters, including Virgil Ortiz, Janice Ortiz, and Lisa Holt. This is one of her classic pieces which combines figure and vessel. The jar is a classic Cochiti shape with the high shoulder. The design is a rain pattern which encircles the rim. There are six children on the outside of the jar. They are all positioned and painted to appear to be interacting! The jar is slipped with white Cochiti clay and painted with red clay slip and wild spinach plant (black). The piece is signed on the bottom. It was traditionally fired and in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Definitely a classic!
$ 875.00
This is a provocative canteen by Virgil Ortiz. The piece is coil built and painted with native clay slips and wild spinach (a plant) for the black. The front of the canteen is painted with one of Virgi’s iconic images. The figure is one of the “Ventuian Soldiers”. In the book, “Revolt”, I wrote about these as follows:
In the summer of 2012 Ortiz premiered his “Venutian Soldiers’. The story of the Pueblo Revolt was becoming more evolved and Ortiz was able to have fun developing more background for his characters and the events before the Revolt 2180. “I have created Native Superheroes in the form of clay, photography, video and film, which allows me the freedom to express my personal interpretation of the REVOLT – The First American Revolution. The Venutian Soldiers are futurist, herculean superheroes, over eight feet tall, who fight mainly at nighttime and possess extraordinary strength and magical powers”. Here the Venutian Soldiers reflect the destruction of pueblos by the Spanish during their original conquest. In their future version, it is the Castilians who have destroyed their ‘world’ and the Venutian Soldiers are the embodiment of this devastation. Their environment has been destroyed through nuclear weapons causing the Venutian Soldiers to use oxygen tanks and gas masks to survive. This story is a thoughtful embodiment of a world overrun and the natural order destroyed yet survivable by the sense of “Pueblo community”. The Venutians are lead by Tahu and Kootz to find a hospitable land and “rebuild their traditions and ways of life on ancestral sacred lands”.
The combination of figures reacting to the environment and water issues, and the form being a canteen, was not lost on Virgil in making this piece. The figure is surrounded by floral designs and wildflower designs on the back. Note as well the “spirit line” which is a space in the painting on the rim. Virgil has also incorporated his signature “x”, which is the turkey track, onto the front of the canteen. The piece is signed on the back. The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay. His work can be found in museums worldwide, including the Fondation Cartier in Paris, the Heard Museum, the Denver Art Museum and more.
$ 2,500.00
Elizabeth Medina is known for traditional style of Zia pottery. Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays and native fired. This jar was made by Elizabeth and painted by her husband, Marcellus Medina. The jar has Zia birds on two of the sides. It is charming how the birds are painted looking at the butterflies! Separating the birds are stylized plant designs. Note all the various colors used on this jar! Some of the colors are polished while others are matte. The top of the lid is polished red and there is an added turtle. The top of the turtle has flowers and a bird as the design. The jar is signed on the side “Elizabeth + Marcellus Medina, Zia”.
$ 300.00
This is a figurative piece by Jennifer Tafoya Moquino. It is a perch and fully polished and etched. Note the details on the sides and the various layers. The piece is signed on the bottom. The colors are all derived from natural clay slips.
$ 140.00
Greg Garcia was known for his use of classic Santa Clara forms for his pottery. He learned to make pottery from his grandmother, Severa Tafoya and also worked closely with his sister, Tina Garcia. This is one of his classic double shoulder water jars. The jar has the “rainbow ridge” or double shoulder, which is always technically difficult to make. The entire piece is fully polished. The jar was fired a deep black coloration. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Greg Garcia”.
$ 300.00
Tina Garcia was well known for her focus on traditional shape and plainware Santa Clara pottery. This jar is a classic shape with a long neck and a sharp shoulder. The rim is fluted and it is also fully polished on the inside. Typical of her pottery is an elegant shape and the stone polished surface is stunning. It is signed on the bottom and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,000.00
Robert Cleto Nichols is known for his deep carved pottery. Each piece is coil built, carved and stone polished. This bowl has a fish as the design which encircles the piece. As the bowl is turned the body of the fish is divided up into various classic Santa Clara designs. There are melon ribs, kiva steps, and cloud designs. Note the depth of the carving on this piece! The bowl is traditionally fired black and signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 400.00
Preston Duwyenie is renown for his elegant pottery which is often highlighted with silver medallions. This seedpot is made from micaceous clay and fired black. The sparkle on the surface comes from the mica clay slip. The lid is cast from cuttlefish bone (a type of squid) and then Preston makes a silver finial to perfectly fit into the seedpot. It is signed on the bottom in the clay with Preston’s hallmark. It is a woman carrying a child on her back, which is also Preston’s Hopi name, which means “carried in beauty”.
$ 500.00
This miniature red jar by Grace Medicine Flower is fully polished and incised. The design is a central medallion with a Mimbres inspired flute player. Around the shoulder are alternating turtles and frogs. The jar is from 1998 and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.
$ 1,600.00
This is an exceptional miniature by Nancy Youngblood. It is one of her very deeply carved melon bowls which swirl down from the neck to the base. There are sixteen ribs and each rib is carved into the clay and fully stone polished. Consider that each rib has two “sides” to be polished and the surface area of the piece is about double its size! This jar also has a lid which is carved to fit exactly into the rim of the bowl. Amazingly, the front and the back of the lid are stone polished! Nancy said of this type of lid:
“The kiva step lid. I saw that design a lot when I was a young girl both on pottery and on my mom’s embroidery. I wanted to try that pattern with a lid. It’s tough to do because lids are so fragile. You have to make it solid and then cut into it to get the shape. Lids are probably some of the hardest things to do with the pottery.” Nancy Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay
The coloration on this bowl is a striking deep red. The deep ribs and the deep color are in perfect to reflect the light at every angle! Nancy has won numerous awards for her melon bowls, and this is undoubtedly a classic of her style! It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 4,800.00
This seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1997. The piece is entitled, “Leaping Grasshoppers”. It includes a signed version of the card which Joseph made for each of his miniatures. There is also a photo of Joseph holding the piece! Joseph wrote partially of this piece,
“Portrayed side view are two geometrically designed and color-toned grasshoppers. Representative of the Mimbres Period – 10th to 14th centuries. Both grasshoppers appear to be leaping. Beneath the plant-eating insects is a higly polished red slipwork symbolic of Mother Earth. Swirled and jagged to denote “Her” terrain, MOther Earth’s surface is only sparsely vegetated.”
The butterfly etched on the back is symbolic of beauty and the the interlocking rings medallion represents the attachment between friends and was the yearly symbol for 1997. This piece was actually purchased at our gallery show for Joseph Lonewolf and Grace Medicine Flower in 1998! Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf 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. The piece is signed on the bottom and includes the signed artist card. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,600.00
This is a charming miniature by Joseph Lonewolf Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf 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. This seedpot is entitled, “Lone Chipmunk”. Joseph wrote of this piece:
“Comprising the front side of this minature is a cheerful, alert, sun-loving little animal, a lone chipmunk. Below the handsome hoarder, at the base, is the symbol of beauty, a tiny butterfly. Encircling the chipmunk and comprising the back side are designs symbolic of sun rays and the natural habitat (of the chipmunk).
The surface is fully polished red and there are additional black, white, green and blue clay slips added to create the colorations. The yearly symbol for 1986 is a “heart” which represents love and Lonewolf says, “in particular a deep devotion for the ancestors and Mother Earth”. The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,600.00
Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf 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. This seedpot is entitled, “Call to the Creatures”. Joseph wrote of this piece:
“The time has come…the People must stock up on food and clothing once again. Standing upon the design symbolic of his pathway, the flute player lifts his flute and calls the creatures on the back side of this creation. Encircled by the musical story coming from his flute, the flute player, symbolic of leadership, tells the rabbit, antelope, ram, and fish to come forth and provide the people all they require”.
This seedpot is very intricately designed with a fourish of the flute player on the piece. There is an additional green clay slip used to highlight the piece. The yearly symbol for 1984 is near the base and it is a rainbow, symbolising a bright future. The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It includes the original card with the information on the piece.
$ 2,000.00
This seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1998. The piece is entitled, “Secreted Fawn”. It includes a signed version of the card which Joseph made for each of his miniatures. This piece was actually made for our show at the gallery with Joseph and Grace Medicine Flower in 1998. Joseph wrote partially of this piece,
“Portrayed against a blue sky background is a single realistically designed Mule Deer fawn, most of which are born in June or July. Nestled, side view, in an abundance of sheltered valley grasses, remote to other members of the heard, the fawn is partially encircled by eight yellow disked, red tipped daisy blossoms, which denote all that is sweet, or pleasant, in life.
Three small realistically designed cabbage white butterflies, symbolic of beauty in life, are portrayed with the fawn. two wings about the new born in a delicate, unhurried flight and one alight on the tip of the newborn’s right ear.”
On the back of the seedpot in the red is a Mule Deer buck, doe and fawn sketched into the clay. They are inspired by the Mimbres pottery designs of the 11th century. The interlocking rings medallion represents the attachment between friends and was the yearly symbol for 1997. Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf 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. The piece is signed on the bottom and includes the signed artist card. There is also a photo of Joseph holding the piece! It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 4,000.00
Sylvia Naha created pieces with the white clay polished surface painted with bee-weed (black) and native clay slips. Throughout the 1980’s, Sylvia was considered among the most innovative of the Hopi potters. Her pieces were classic in form and amazingly intricate in design. This jar has two of her classic designs, the lizards and the corn plants. Each lizard is painted with a series of triangular geometrics. They are painted at a slant on the jar. Separating the lizards are two corn plants. Corn has strong symbolism for prosperity and abundance. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. The jar is signed on the bottom with a feather and an “S”.
$ 800.00
This is a large water jar by Joy Navasie. It is slipped with the white clay and then painted with natural clay slips and bee-weed (black). The shape is a classic for her with a round body and a slightly turned out neck. The neck has a single band of rain and cloud designs. The sides of the jar are fully painted in four panels. Two panels are birds and the other two are bird tail designs. The black painted with bee-weed (a plant) and the red is a deeper red clay she began to use in the 1980’s. The jar is fully polished, even on the inside! It has been traditionally fired so there are some variations in the coloration from white to almost a pinkish color. The jar is signed on the bottom with her Frog Hallmark. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,800.00
Katherine Victorino is a daughter of accomplished Acoma potter Monroe Victorino. She began making pottery at nine years old and attributes her pottery education to her step-mother Beverly Garcia. This jar is a classic water jar or “olla” shape for Acoma with a narrow base, wide shoulder and turned in neck. The jar is coil built and painted with a rain (fine line) design. Below the rain pattern are plant designs. Around the neck is a cloud motif. It combines strong black and white graphics with fine-line Acoma painting. Katherine says, “I started by filling in the lines for my step-mother, and gradually I learned the traditional methods of hand-coil construction and fine line painting (using only yucca brushes) well enough to make pottery full time at the age of twenty.” The intricate designs encompass the entire surface, creating a strong graphic appearance with the contrast of the black and white. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 200.00
Dennis Daubs is known for his intricately incised pottery. Each piece is coil built, stone polished and the imagery is etched into the surface of the clay. This jar has a water serpent around the shoulder of the piece. Above and below are eternity belt patterns. The designs are very intricately etched and note the precision of the lines.
$ 225.00
Katherine Victorino is a daughter of accomplished Acoma potter Monroe Victorino. She began making pottery at nine years old and attributes her pottery education to her step-mother Beverly Garcia. This jar is a classic water jar or “olla” shape for Acoma with a narrow base, wide shoulder and turned in neck. The jar is coil built and the pattern is a turtle shell design. It combines strong black and white graphics with fine-line Acoma painting. Katherine says, “I started by filling in the lines for my step-mother, and gradually I learned the traditional methods of hand-coil construction and fine line painting (using only yucca brushes) well enough to make pottery full time at the age of twenty.” The intricate designs encompass the entire surface, creating a strong graphic appearance with the contrast of the black and white. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 200.00
This is a classic stylized seedpot by Art Cody Haungooah. It is fully polished and etched in his signature “asymmetrical’ manner, meaning there are two medallions but they are not on opposite side, and there is a section which is just plain. In one of the medallions, there are four frogs and a central lily pad. They are surrounded by a feather pattern. The second medallion also has a circle of feathers and in the center is a stylized bird. Separating the two is a design with three prayer feathers. The piece is from 1981 when he signed his work with his name and a flute player. The piece is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.r repair.
To learn more about Art Cody Haungooah, click below:
Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery
$ 600.00
Thomas Natseway is one of the most renown miniaturists in Pueblo pottery. Rarely does he make a piece which is over 1″ tall or wide! This jar is inspired by the Acoma pottery canteens. The jar has three round sections and there are tiny bear “handles” on the top! Both sides are painted with very intricate geometric patterns as one side is series of swirls and the other are geometrics. The shape and style of this piece is inspired by the three chamber canteens of Juana Leno. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 150.00
This is a very early piece by Art Cody Haungooah. It is a tall jar which is fully polished and carved around the shoulder. The carved design is a single feather, which he has etched into to the clay. The remainder of the jar is plain. It was only in 1972 that Art began to make pottery and this piece is signed with his earlies signature, “Haungooah”. It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
To learn more about Art Cody Haungooah, click below:
Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery
$ 100.00
This is a very early piece by Art Cody Haungooah. It is an open bowl and it is fully polished. The design is etched into one side of the piece. There is a single Pueblo style bird with deep etching around the design. The remainder of the bowl is plain. It was only in 1972 that Art began to make pottery and this piece is signed with his earlies signature, “Haungooah”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
To learn more about Art Cody Haungooah, click below:
Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery
$ 250.00
Locations: 4168 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 - Phone: 480.481.0187 | 130 Lincoln Ave #D, Santa Fe, NM 87501 - Phone: 480.440.3912 | Email: kgs@kinggalleries.com
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