- About
- Pottery | Art
- By Pueblo or Tribe
- Contemporary Pottery
- Signed Historic Pottery
- Miniatures
- Artwork
- Books
- Zuni Fetishes
- Sale Items
- All Pottery
- New Additions
- Artists
- Events
- Blogs | E-News
- Contact Us | Locations
Loading the content... Loading depends on your connection speed!
Scottsdale - (480) 481-0187 | Santa Fe - 480-440-3912
kgs@kinggalleries.com
kgs@kinggalleries.com
- Sign In /
These are all the New Additions which have been added for the last 30 days.
NEW PIECES ARE ADDED EACH DAY, SO CHECK BACK!
Mark Tahbo learned to make pottery from his great grandmother, Grace Chapella. His pieces reflect the wonderful symmetry and thin walls of an excellent potter. This tile is made from the traditional red clay at Hopi. It is painted with a Sikyatki style bat as the design. The bat has additional designs on the wings. Note as well the stars in the sky. The piece is signed on the back with Mark’s hallmark, which represents that he is tobacco clan.
$ 250.00
Mark Tahbo learned to make pottery from his great grandmother, Grace Chapella. His pieces reflect the wonderful symmetry and thin walls of an excellent potter. The designs are painted using native clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black. This wide shoulder bowl has the moth pattern which was made famous by Grace Chapella. The moths are male and female (check out the painting on the heads). The triangular design to the right of each moth is meant to represent each of the three Hopi mesas. The bowl is traditionally fired to create the blushes on the surface. It is signed on the bottom with Mark’s hallmark, which represents that he is tobacco clan.
$ 600.00
It’s not often that you see “The Perfect” gunmetal piece by Maria Martinez. This jar is one of those pieces. The water jar has a fluted rim and a wide shoulder. There is a slight indention for the shoulder of the jar. However, what makes it so “perfect” is the firing. It is so perfectly gunmetal in firing that the surface has a silvery appearance. It even appears more gunmetal in low light! The jar is quite extraordinary as the gunmetal color is created from the heat of the firing. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Maria Poveka”. This is a combination of her Anglo and Tewa names. Her name, “Poveka” means “Water Lilly”. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
Maria Martinez Signatures
$ 7,200.00
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 Victor Higgins. The style is cubist and captures a similar theme to Higgins later work. The bowl is coil built and has the image on the inside. The outer rim is left natural. The bowl is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,200.00
Spectacular! This is an amazing jar by Nathan Youngblood. The jar is a large coil built piece which has been carved, stone polished and traditionally fired. The neck of the jar is carved with four bear paw medallions. The different medallions represent four generations of potters including Sara Fina Tafoya, Margaret Tafoya, Mela Youngblood and Nathan Youngblood. They are separated by four lightning designs. Below the bear paws are a series of four rain clouds. The central band of the jar contains two interwoven avanyu (water serpent) designs. Note the amazing complexity in the design of the bodies of the avanyus! These sections are all polished red. Near the base are five tan polished cloud patterns. It is amazing the amount of carving on this large jar and the coloration from the firing. The deep red is in perfect contrast to the tan polished surfaces. The lid is tan and has symbols for the four directions. On his red and tan pieces, after they are fired, Nathan uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving. This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself! Amazing the amount of time that goes into each vessel and yet how stunning they appear! Certainly an amazing jar for his history, story and complexity!
$ 48,000.00
Nathan has created his own distinctive “polychrome” style of pottery with the use of the red, tan and buff surfaces on his pottery. This large water jar is an elegant form with a round base and a slightly elongated neck. The jar has is polished tan on the inside of the rim and the neck. The neck is carved with eagle feathers while the shoulder is polished red and carved with an avanyu. As the jar is turned the body of the avanyu consists of cloud and rain patterns. Below the avanyu is a band of kiva step patterns. The jar is traditionally fired and has a striking contrast between the deep red and the tan polished areas. On his red and tan pieces, after they are fired, he uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving. This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself! The last photo shows Nathan using the screwdriver to scrape away against the clay from the carved edges and background. Amazing the amount of time that goes into each vessel and yet how stunning they appear!
$ 18,000.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This large open bowl 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 is a set of pieces, which tell the story both of a painting by EI Couse, but also the importance of water to the Pueblo world. Susan says of this piece:
“There is a painting by EI Couse of Flute Player ceremony at Hopi. It was a serene image focusing on the dancers asking for rain for the village. The drop of rain hits a bowl and the water splashes out. In this water, I painted a reflection of the Flute Player ceremony. I wanted to reflect the prayers for rain in the puddle of water. There is the water that is here and the water that is coming.
This is a multi-piece set. The bowl has a rain drop and the water splashing out. The large flat piece has the painted scene from the Couse painting. There are additional smaller droplets of water to surround the larger piece. It is a striking, thoughtful and timely set of pieces. The last photos here are the actual painting for comparison. The pieces are signed on the bottom.
$ 3,200.00
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. 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.
$ 650.00
This is a stunning red jar by Nathan Youngblood. The shape of the jar is based on the classic water jar, which Nathan has elongated. The jar has a turned out rim and a double shoulder. The design of the jar is inspired by the work of Nathan’s grandmother, Margaret Tafoya. The jar has a single bear paw medallion in Margaret’s style. As the jar is turned the opposite side has a water serpent (avanyu) which is cut at a spiraling angle around the jar. There are several bands of design, each with a different part of the story. The avanyu, the sun and the bear paw medallion. Each connected to the next. The rim has a triangular design which represent the rain falling in the sunlight. The jar is very deeply carved and highly polished. The coloration is a deep red and the base is tan. It is a beautiful tribute and a stunning vessel in shape and design.
$ 21,000.00
This is a stunning jar by Tammy Garcia who is known for her contemporary designs and use of traditional clay. This jar is in a canteen shape with a wide body and rounded end. The jar is carved with flowers and a dragonflies. Each flower has carved petals which are stone polished. Tammy carved the round sections of various flowers to create a variety of dimensions to the piece. The top is also and has flowers with raised sections. Tammy said that at times she could only polish two or three petals at a time to get the high shine she was looking to achieve. One one side is a large dragonfly medallion with her new style “frame” encircling the figure. The dragonfly is layered over an area which is stippled with tiny dots into the clay. The center of the dragonfly has two pieces of Sleeping Beauty turquoise. The jar has been traditionally fired black and that is possibly the most stunning aspect of the work as it has a near gunmetal appearance! The contrast of the black polished and black matte areas is spectacular! Tammy is never content with her pottery and each new pieces takes her unique style to a new level. Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery for nearly the past 30 years. Her creative work in clay, glass and bronze is found in museums worldwide. It is exciting to see how her contemporary work continues to move Pueblo pottery forward with it innovations. We are proud to be the only gallery currently representing her new works in clay.
$ 18,000.00
Al Qoyawayma calls the shape of this jar his “Harmony Shape”. It has an elongated neck and round body. It is carved on both sides. One side has flower,s the other a figure. The carved areas have additional clay slips. It is simple and elegant, definitely harmonious! All the various colors are derived from native clays. It is a classic piece with a striking balance of designs and form.
$ 4,500.00
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 Tahu, the Blind Archer. Here she is depicted with a rose in her mouth. 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.
$ 650.00
Al Qoyawayma often creates vessels based on ancient forms. This large jar is based on the Gila River forms which were wide and had a low, sharp shoulder. On this jar, it is fully polished and Al has created a scene with figurative dancers which are pushed out from the inside in the clay. The jar has a procession of dancers encircling the piece. Each is matte while the area around is polished. The last figure is a small boy and as the jar is turned, he is being chased by a jaguar! The form and design are both humorous and charming on this piece. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 14,000.00
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
This is one of the most complex and largest carved jars by Les Namingha to date. The jar has separated bands of deep carving with cloud, lightning, rain and bird wing designs. Each band is deeply carved and painted. Note the complexity of the carving and the number of sharp angles! Near the neck are circular carved sections. The coloration and design is stunning on this large jar. Les is a descendant of Nampeyo and learned to make pottery from his aunt Dextra Quotskuyva. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 7,500.00
This is a spectacular piece from Al Qoyawayma. It is one of his architectural pieces with a design which combines both Ancetral Pueblo and Mayan architectural styles. The form of the building is inspired by the Mayan Uxmal Governor’s Palace building with the wide elongated front. The square doors and the straight portico are part of this style. Al says of this piece, ”
“Uxmal is a site in the Yucatan and was home to about 25,000. The original site was build by the Maya’s and later taken over by Uto-Aztecan speaking Toltecs, as were other locations such as Chichen Itza. This site has numerous large buildings, pyramids (the largest is the “Pyramid of the Magician”) and the “Nunnery”, along with a large ball court. The building I am emulating is the “Governor’s Palace” built with very finely cut stone…better than Chaco. It is rectangular….and about 300-400 feet long, 100-150 feet wide and 30-40 feet high. There are two large inset trapezoidal (corbel) arches on the long axis on each side of the building, along with 9 smaller doorways. The trapezoids are filled in with cut stone to form “tee-doors”. A geometric analemma (spiral) patterns (annual path of the sun) are inset in stone next to the doors (but not in my piece), and very impressive. A very long wide paved roadway (sacbe…”white roadway”) intersects the steps of the southeast face of the building, sort of like a royal entrance. This sacbe interconnects Uxmal with Kabah site which also has corbelled arches.
I was inspired by the visiting the site. The Pyramid of the Magician has Hopi migration symbols at the top. Of course, the “Tee door” is emulated throughout the southwest. The Governor’s Palace has a very formal, stately, impressive architecture. Given our Hopi stories of interconnection with the south (Uto-Aztecan speaking Toltec, Mixtec, Zapotec, Aztec, with Hopi being a Northern dialect) and the stories of “red cities to the south with running water, etc, make this structure of natural interest to me. These implications and my visit there created the inspiration for this piece.”
Technically, the architectural scene is created in repousse, as it is pushed out from the clay to create the structures. They are then refined and incised to create the intricate stone work and various levels. It is both beautiful and complex as he carried the walls off to the side of the bowl. Note the color variations on the buildings, which are created using various clay slips. Al’s architectural pieces are among his most iconic works!
$ 10,500.00
Nathan has created his own distinctive “polychrome” style of pottery with the use of the red, tan and buff surfaces on his pottery. This large water jar is an elegant form with an elongated neck. The entire jar is fully carved! The neck is tan with a walking bear paw design. The shoulder of the jar is carved with cloud and rain designs and polished red. The base is the amazing section with the carved areas which extend up from the base. The carving in the negative space areas is always more difficult. Those areas represent the corn plants and the water springs. The contrast of the polished red and tan is stunning! It is an exceptionally intricate jar with sharp edges and complex patterns. The jar is traditionally fired and has a striking contrast between the deep red and the tan polished areas. On his red and tan pieces, after they are fired, he uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving. This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself! Amazing the amount of time that goes into each vessel and yet how effortless it seems that Nathan is able to capture the beauty of his work.
$ 16,000.00
Nathan Youngblood is renowned for his deeply carved pottery and spectacular polished surfaces. This jar is fully carved and polished a glassy red. Around the shoulder is a deeply carved avanyu encircling the piece. This classic Santa Clara design has cloud and rain patterns as part of the body of the water serpent, and the story of how it saved the village from a flood. Below the avanyu are cloud designs and the ‘walking bear paw’ design. There is a matte band separating the avanyu from the designs below. The lid, however, is the perfect addition to the jar! It is tan polished and has a matte melon swirl top! The contrast of the matte with the red and tan is visually striking on this piece. On Nathan’s red and tan pieces, after they are fired, he uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving. This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself! The jar is signed on the bottom with his name and deer tracks representing his name in Tewa.
$ 8,800.00
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.
$ 4,500.00
Al Qoyawayma calls the shape of this jar his “Serenity vase”. It is a distinctive form with the two overlapping spouts. This polychrome jar is carved with an abstract Hopi style bird on one side. It has various layers of carving which give added depth to the design. The opposite side has a pueblo cliff dwelling which has areas which are recessed and the entire surface is fully carved! Note the various shapes of the doors with the “key hole” opening. All the various colors are derived from native clays. It is a classic piece with a striking balance of designs and form.
$ 3,900.00
This is a thoughtful piece from Al Qoyawayma. It is one of his architectural pieces, with the pueblo wall scene carved into the center of the jar. The shape has two lobes and the top and bottom part are polished. It is the center section which is fascinating with four different styles of pueblo doorways! Each of these are each carved into the clay and note the detail on the walls. The color variations is created using various clay slips. Al’s architectural pieces are among his most iconic works!
$ 7,500.00
This is a classic elongated neck water jar by Nathan Youngblood. The jar is carved around the shoulder with a complex cloud and rain design. The cloud and rain pattern interconnect as the jar is turned. Interestingly, Nathan has carved into the negative space near the base of the jar. This carving is meant to represent the underground springs which absorb and then distribute the rain from above. Note how they flow and curl around the side and to the base of the jar. The remainder of the piece is fully polished to a glassy appearance. The lid is polished tan, which is difficult to achieve. Only water is used to polish the surface of the piece and then it is fired the natural color of the clay. The lid is carved with the rising sun on one side and the setting sun on the other. The rays of the sun reflect down on the rain and water represented in the jar. The carving on the lid is deep and a striking complement to the depth of the carving on the jar. The balance of the form, polish and carving are all central to the work of Nathan Youngblood. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and hallmarked name in Tewa.
$ 18,000.00
This triangular “box” by Al Qoyawayma is an exceptional piece of his pottery. The shape is distinctive with the three flat sides and the flat lid. The three sides allow him space to create his multi-layer carved designs. On the “back” panel is the classic Month Man which is derived from ancient kiva art. Here he is depicted with a plant design. On the there is a Hopi style bird with cloud and lightning designs above. On the opposite side is a complex pattern of bird wings and a old style bird near the base. The lid is carved in multiple layers and has a swirled bird and prayer feathers. The various layers of carving allow for him to give additional depth to the piece. The colors are all natural clay slips which are often stone polished to create the shine in contrast to the matte surfaces. The colorations on this piece are stunning and add to the striking appearance and balance of form, sculpture and design!
$ 11,700.00
This large storage jar by Virgil Ortiz captures his story of the Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180. The jar is coil built and painted with wild spinach (for the black). The imagery capture Tahu the Blind Archer one one side and one of the Runners in a 2180 format. There is imagery of Translator, who tells the story of both time periods of the Pueblo Revolt. Finally, there is another figure, morphing between man and bird. It is an intricately painted jar and massive in size! It is an exceptional piece of pottery that continues to tell the story of the resilience of the Pueblo people. Note how Virgil uses his graphic style lines and classic Cochiti imagery to enhance the faces and figures on the vessel! There is a space on the rim of the neck where it is unpainted, which is the “heartline”, which Virgil always paints on his clay vessels. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 19,000.00
This jar is an unusual shape for Al Qoyawayma. The jar has a base which then extends out to the body of the piece. The entire piece is fully polished tan with one carved area of design. The image is the “mosquito man”, which is seen on Kiva Murals and pre-historic pottery throughout the Southwest. Note the various levels of carving on this piece from the face of the figure all they way to the stars in the sky. All the various colorations are natural clay slips which are matte and polished. The lid is another unique shape, which seems to replicate the overall shape of the jar. It is a stunning piece with a simplicity in form but complexity in the design.
$ 4,500.00
This is a exceptional large jar by Les Namingha. Les is a descendant of Nampeyo and learned to make pottery from his aunt Dextra Quotskuyva. This jar is carved with a series of corn plant extending up from the base and down from the neck. They are stylized and deeply carved. Les said he chose the coloration so that it would have more of the appearance of a bronze. The organic coloration adds to the depth of the piece. The shape is one that Les creates often with the high shoulder and the slight neck. There is something both modern and very ancient about this jar! It is signed on the bottom.
$ 6,000.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This large open bowl 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 bowl is inspired by a painting by Bert Greer Phillips, one of the founding members of the Taos Society of Artists. Susan says of this piece,
“Greer is known for paintings of peasant scenes in Europe. He depicts Taos villagers in a noble way. My intent was to have the image inside the bowl so that the painting was framed by the pot itself. I wanted to capture the same nobility in the Corn Maidens with their baskets and all the colors of the corn”.
The exterior of the bowl is fully stone polished. It has a striking form with a very round shoulder. The interior of the bowl is fully painted. There is a basket design, then corn and finally the Taos scene in the center. Note the detail in the corn and the baskets! The contrast of the polished exterior and the painted interior is striking. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 4,500.00
This stirrup jar by Al Qoyawayma is inspired by historic pieces with a similar handle and wide body. The jar has two spouts and he has carved on both sides of the piece. The carved areas areas are also polished, which is striking with the this carving of some of the sections! The ends are carved and the colors are derived from various clay slips. The contrast of carved, polished and matte surfaces works beautifully on this piece. The various layers of carving allow for him to give additional depth to the piece.
$ 9,500.00
This jar is a stunning new piece by Tammy Garcia. The jar is carved with melon ribs which extend from the shoulder to the base. The ribs are then carved with dragonflies across the entire surface. Each one is carved into the clay at various levels. There are two quail, one on each side. The quail are also carved at various levels. Note how each dragonfly has different colored clays used for the wings! There is a beautiful flow of design on this unique form. Each of the quail is surrounded Tammy’s new “frames’ which accentuate her designs. The jar has a single inset piece of turquoise. Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery for nearly the past 30 years. Her creative work in clay, glass and bronze is found in museums worldwide. It is exciting to see how her contemporary work continues to move Pueblo pottery forward with it innovations. We are proud to be the only gallery currently representing her new works in clay.
$ 8,600.00
Nathan Youngblood is one of the few Pueblo potters who creates large and intricately carved plates. In addition to the round and oval ones, he has also created his own distinctive form of the “tear drop” shape. This piece is coil built, carved, stone polished and traditionally fired. He designed this plate so that it has a “shield-like” appearance with a central medallion and the designs emanating out from the center. The imagery is all cloud and rain patterns. The band extending out from the center are slipped with a micaceous clay, creating another visual contrast from the matte and polished surfaces. The polished areas here are perfectly polished to a “glass-like” appearance. The piece is signed on the back with his name and Tewa name hallmark.
$ 11,500.00
This is a striking carved jar by Les Namingha. The shape of the jar is round with a slight indention before the neck. The neck is fully painted with orange bird wings and a linear maze design. The shoulder of the jar is carved with stylized Hopi birds with raised corn patterns and pointilism painting inside each bird. The base is carved with a complex maze pattern, similar to on the rim. The jar has a very modern style with very ancient designs. Les is a descendant of Nampeyo and learned to make pottery from his aunt Dextra Quotskuyva. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 4,000.00
It is not often that Virgil Ortiz creates such a traditional style of jar. This piece is coil built, polished and painted with wild spinach for the black. Virgil said that he was inspired by some historic Cochiti pottery recently to create this piece which has such classic imagery. The tall shape works perfectly for the designs. In addition to the focus on traditional imagery, there is also the complexity and intensity of design across the entire surface of the piece! The classic Cochiti cloud designs around the body of the jar are delicately painted. Around the neck are plant design with a single row of wild spinach leaf plant designs. There is a space on the rim of the neck where it is unpainted, which is the “heartline”, which Virgil always paints on his clay vessels. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 4,000.00
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 Tahu, the Blind Archer. Here she is depicted in her futurist gear in 2180. The face is delicate and intricately painted. 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.
$ 650.00
Tammy Garcia is known for her contemporary designs and use of traditional clay. This jar incorporates her evolving style of carving her pieces in various layers in the clay. There are medallions on each side of the bird. They have flowers carved in relief which create the “frame” around the piece. The birds are each delicately carved into the clay and have additional small flowers near them. Each of the birds is slipped with different clays to create the various colorations. Separating the two are flowers which are carved and stone polished. The jar is a beautiful shape with a round body and slight neck. The various levels of carving are striking as are the colors and the contrast of matte, polished and micaceous clay surfaces. Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery for nearly the past 30 years. Her creative work in clay, glass and bronze is found in museums worldwide. It is exciting to see how her contemporary work continues to move Pueblo pottery forward with it innovations. We are proud to be the only gallery representing her new works in clay.
$ 8,800.00
Shana Garcia is known for her very thin walled pottery. Each piece is coil built and painted with yucca to create the long thin lines. This jar has a series of bird wing patterns as part of the overall design. They swirl around the jar creating beautiful op-art imagery. The rim of the jar is sculptured with three pieces of clay and a fineline bird wing pattern. Shana said that this meant to represent the birds over the kivas. It is striking how she is able to combine such traditional imagery with such a modern appearance!
$ 850.00
Jennifer Moquino is known for her clay vessels and also her amazing animal figures. This bear is fired black. It is fully polished on its back. There is a feather pattern and bear paw etched on its back. Behind the bear paw are kiva steps, lightning and plant designs. All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips. Jennifer continues to be one of the leading innovative potters working today!
$ 250.00
Juan Cruz is creating some beautifully painted polychrome pottery. He is a son of noted potter Lois Gutierrez. Lois made the jar and Juan, who is noted for his illustrations, painted the design using natural clay slips.. This is Juan’s first attempt at a large vessel, which certainly requires different skills to paint something so large. Juan wrote of the scene he painted as follows:
“This jar depicts an array of hero warriors carrying their identifying shields with them as the rush forward into battle. The Blue Corn Girls look on as the scene is played out.”
The jar is truly polychrome (more than three colors of clay). Note the intricacy of the painted designs and especially the figures. They are each distinctive in stance or dress. Each shield is a different design and the designs on the girls dresses are also intricately painted. The jar has been traditionally fired outdoor and overall is a striking coloration. It is signed on the indented bottom of the jar by both Juan and Lois. The description is written on the back of a hand painted graphic of a Pueblo woman warrior with an avanyu in the background. What a phenomenal addition to this piece and the painting helps to better understand how exceptional Juan is with his art.
Juan also won “Best of Pottery” at Gallup Ceremonials in 2017!
$ 7,200.00
This is an unique jar by Steve Lucas. The jar has four foxes painted in the clay encircling the piece. Each has a section of fully polished red as part of the design. Below the shoulder is a geometric pattern which is a minimalist version of the coyote. What is really interesting about this jar is the clay. Steve mixed several different types of clay together on the rim. See the photo of the rim, and it is possible to see how the two clays look unpolished on the inside and polished on the outside! The base of the jar is slipped with a brown clay and also fully polished. It is a striking design and exceptional use of clay. The jar was traditionally fired and has slight color variations from the firing. It is signed on the bottom with his name and an ear of corn (Corn Clan) and a Mudhead Katsina.
$ 1,400.00
This is a stunning jar by Steve Lucas. The jar has grasshoppers painted on the top. This is a very old design and one that Steve said he learned from Dextra Quotskuyva. Each of the four grasshoppers is painted with red, green and brown clay slips. The colored clays are all stone polished. Below the very sharp shoulder is a plant design. The bottom of the jar is fully polished with a red clay slip. The black areas are all painted with bee-weed, a plant. The flow, design and coloration of this jar is exceptional and it is exciting to see such a classic design revived in such a modern style! The jar was traditionally fired and has slight color variations from the firing. It is signed on the bottom with his name and an ear of corn (Corn Clan) and a Mudhead Katsina.
$ 2,000.00
Harrison Begay, Jr. has won numerous awards over the years for his deep carved pottery. This jar is deeply carved and has a Navajo Yei figure as the central design. As the jar is turned there are feathers extending out from the figure. There are cloud, wind and a spiraling bird pattern. Note the deeply carved area with the little dots and the rain cloud below. It is a striking jar with a nearly gunmetal fired surface. The contrast of the polished and matte areas is perfect! Note as well the style of carving, which has a beveled appearance to the angle of the cuts into the clay. This is a very distinctive style of carving for his pottery. Harrison has won numerous awards for his work and continues to be one of the leading innovators in Native American Indian pottery. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 1,100.00
Rainy Naha learned to make pottery from her mother, Helen “Featherwoman” Naha. Rainy continues is a similar style using a white clay slip as the foundation for her work. This jar is one of her tall forms with hummingbirds as the design. Each pair of hummingbirds are separated by a plant design in the center and a rain design on the rim. Each bird has a variety of designs derived from classic Hopi pottery. Rainy uses natural clay slips (bee-weed for the black) and a white kaolin clay. Each of her pieces is also traditionally fired which gives the white a very pearlescent appearance. It is signed on thbottom with a feather and “Rainy”.
$ 500.00
Harrison Begay, Jr. has won numerous awards over the years for his deep carved pottery. This jar is deeply carved and has a butterfly and dragonflies as the design. Separating them are cloud and water designs which are carved into the clay. Harrison contrasts matte and polished surfaces to create a striking visual contrast to his pottery. What makes this jar special are the little handles. They are small and fully polished, which is amazing! They extend from the polished rim to the shoulder. The jar is fired to a near gunmetal appearance. Note as well the style of carving, which has a beveled appearance to the angle of the cuts into the clay. This is a very distinctive style of carving for his pottery. Harrison has won numerous awards for his work and continues to be one of the leading innovators in Native American Indian pottery. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 1,100.00
This is one of the largest polychrome jars we have had from Dolores Curran. She continues to create intricately incised and painted pottery. She was inspired to create these red polychrome incised and painted by her husband, Alvin Curran. He was known for his incised San Juan style pottery in the 1990’s. This jar is extraordinary in its design! The jar has a polished rim and there incised feathers and prayer feathers incised into the neck. Below the feathers is a carved avanyu which is matte. Below the avanyu are baskets with prayer feathers as the design. The semi-circular pattern below the shoulder are incised feathers and rain. All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips. All the designs are incised (cut very shallow) into the clay! They are then highlighted with the clay slips. The base has a micaceous clay slip and the rim has intricately painted designs. Amazing detail and imagery! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 6,500.00
This is a charming black plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the plate while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da (1923-1971). The plate is highly polished and is one of his few pieces which has an animal motif. This plate has a skunk with a plant design. Popovi Da was an accomplished painter in the San Ildefonso two-dimensional style and this plate captures that style of his art. The skunk is painted much in the way it was on his polychrome pottery. It was only from 1956-9 that Popovi painted these pieces, which are among the most sought after and best of his career! It is signed on the back in the clay, “Maria Popovi“. The signature indicates that it was made around 1956-9. The plate is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 6,500.00
This is a smaller red bowl by Margaret Tafoya is from the 1980’s. The bowl is fully polished has a carved mesa and rain pattern. It is a simple pattern but it wonderfully also has a ribbon appearance. The the carved line below represents the path taken around the mountains. It is a simple but striking piece. The carving is deep and it is highly polished. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret Tafoya”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,800.00
Rose Simpson is one of the exciting innovative potters working today. This is an exceptional larger clay figure. The figure has her classic form and face. There is a blindfold and additional elements on her back. There are embellishments of leather and clay around the figure. Note the clay tab on the front! It is a striking and classic piece of her figurative pottery! Rose continues to expand her style in various museum exhibitions around the US and create new and more dynamic works in clay.
$ 8,500.00
Rose Chino was a daughter of noted potter Marie Z. Chino. This large bowl is painted with rain and cloud designs. The bowl has a very modernist style with the angular painting. The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Rose Chino”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. The bowl comes to us from the collection of Richard Spivey. It has his code number on the bottom that the piece was acquired in 1988.
$ 450.00
Sofia Medina was known for traditional style of Zia pottery. Each piece was coil built, painted with native clays and native fired. This is a large jar in the classic Zia shape. There are painted birds with rainbows on two sides. On the other two sides are the Zia sun design. The various colors are derived from natural clay slips. The jar is signed on the lower side “Sofia Medina, Zia”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is some slight areas of wear on the surface. The jar comes to us from the collection of Richard Spivey, who wrote “The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez” among other books. He purchased the jar in 1971. Inside there is also some of the basalt temper which is used to make Zia pottery. Richard noted of this jar, “It is somewhat overfired, but it does not detract from the beauty of his jar”. Very true! It is a beautiful jar and exceptional provenance!
$ 1,000.00
This is a charming black plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the plate while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da (1923-1971). The plate is highly polished and is one of his few pieces which has an animal motif. This plate has a prancing deer with a plant design below. Popovi Da was an accomplished painter in the San Ildefonso two-dimensional style and this plate captures that style of his art. The deer is beautifully painted in motion. It was only from 1956-9 that Popovi painted these pieces, which are among the most sought after and best of his career! It is signed on the back in the clay, “Maria Popovi“. The signature indicates that it was made around 1956-9. The plate is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 5,800.00
This is a charming gunmetal fired plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the plate while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da (1923-1971). The plate is highly polished and is one of his few pieces which has an animal motif. This plate has a pueblo style deer painted on the surface. Below the deer is a plant design. Popovi Da was an accomplished painter in the San Ildefonso two-dimensional style and this plate captures that style of his art. The deer is beautifully painted in motion. It was only from 1956-9 that Popovi painted these pieces, which are among the most sought after and best of his career! It is signed on the back in the clay, “Maria Popovi“. The signature indicates that it was made around 1956-9. The plate is also published in the book, “The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez” by Richard Spivey, on page 89. It is always a plus to have a piece which has been published in a significant book for both future authenticity and value. The plate is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 6,500.00
In the 1950's Maria Martinez created a series of pieces which were simply stone polished with no design. As she primarily made the pottery and polished it this was fitting with the other pieces of her career. This small bowl is fired with a near gunmetal appearance. It is possible as the bowl is turned to see how the gunmetal color (which comes from the firing) give the bowl a lustrous appearance. It is signed in the clay, “Maria Poveka”. This is a combination of her Anglo and Tewa names. Her name, “Poveka” means “Water Lilly”. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is one tiny blister on the piece which can be seen in the photos.
Maria Martinez Signatures
$ 5,300.00
This is classic plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the plate while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da (1923-1971). The plate is highly polished and has a near gunmetal shine. The avanyu is painted with the traditional horn and clouds around the body. There is a slight curve to the surface and the rim. It is signed on the back in the clay, “Maria Popovi 570“. The signature indicates that it was fired in May, 1970. The plate is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 2,500.00
BJ Frauga is known for her classic style of Jemez pottery. This oval shaped jar has a carved ribbon pattern. In the carved area it is painted with various clay slips to create a kiva step pattern. The remainder of the jar is fully polished tan, which is the natural color of the clay. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 300.00
This jar is by L. Charley Begay. The jar is coil built and has a handle. It has been traditionally fired and covered with pine pitch. There is a raised relief design on the rim of the jar. It received a second place ribbon at the 1969 Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonials and the artist’s name is on the ribbon. The jar comes from the collection of Richard Spivey, known for his books on Maria Martinez.
$ 175.00
Blue Corn is often best known for her polychrome pottery, she also made exquisite black-on-black pottery. Her learned to make pottery from Maria Martinez at San Ildefonso. This jar is very highly polished and painted with a feather pattern. There is a striking contrast of the painted areas with the highly polished surface. The shape of the jar is one of her classic shape with the low shoulder. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay “Blue Corn, San Ildefonso”. The bowl is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There are a few light surface scratches seen in the photos.
$ 775.00
Nathan Begaye was a unique innovator among Pueblo and Navajo potters. His ethnic connection to both Hopi and Navajo let his work flow between the two distinctive styles and yet find their own unique space. His work used traditional designs, forms and techniques, yet somehow appeared very modern. This is an exceptional jar by Nathan Begaye The shape has a low shoulder and a slightly turned out neck. The shoulder has melon ribs pushed out in the clay. Below the shoulder is very detailed painted Hopi style birds. Check out the very intricate checkerboard patterns. I remember watching Nathan create those patterns and work with the various colors of clay, all of which are natural. It was fascinating how he knew which ones he could polish and which ones to leave matte. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,500.00
Simple perfection for Nancy Youngblood. This amazing miniature bowl is from 1982 and it reflects why Nancy has been such a force in Pueblo pottery for over 30 years. The mini bowl has 36 carved feathers around the top of the bowl. There is a deeply carved avanyu around the shoulder of the piece. Take a close look at how deeply it is carved, it is astounding! The mini lid is perfectly in the opening. The bowl is highly polished to a stunning shine. The bowl has two ribbons, a first place from Santa Fe Indian Market and then a Best of Division ribbon as well! This is definitely a rare find, not only such a deeply carved and complicated miniature, but also the historic importance with the two ribbons! It is in perfect condition, with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood Cutler”. I’ll just say it again, simple. perfection.
$ 2,200.00
Susan Folwell is one of the great innovators in Pueblo pottery. Her work has made an impact in shape and design, as she tells her own story in clay. This extraordinary jar is beautifully coil built with an undulating form. The surface is etched with a male and female ram dancer on each side. They are separated by polished ellipses and checkerboard patterns. The color and flow of this piece are extraordinary. Susan says that it was inspired by a dream and that the clay was her way to tell this story. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,000.00
Blue Corn is certainly one of the most creative potters of her time with a varied used of clays and firing techniques to create her distinctive pottery. This is one of her distinctive red pieces. The jar is fully polished red and has a feather pattern painted along the body of the piece. Around the neck is a triangular mountain design. The jar is painted in a buff-on-red style. The highly polished red is in contrast to the matte painted surface. The jar was traditionally fired to create the coloration. The jar is signed in the clay on the bottom, “Blue Corn”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 2,000.00
Blue Corn is often best known for her polychrome pottery, she also made exquisite black-on-black pottery. Her learned to make pottery from Maria Martinez at San Ildefonso. This jar is very highly polished and painted with a feather and mountain pattern. There is a striking contrast of the painted areas with the highly polished surface. The shape of the jar is one of her classic shape with the low shoulder. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay “Blue Corn, San Ildefonso”. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is one small rub area shown in the photos.
$ 675.00
This is large Kiva Bowl by Margaret Tafoya. It is from the 1940’s. The bowl is unusual for its size and shape. The “kiva” is an underground ceremonial room, and there is a ladder out of the top. The representation of the kiva in Santa Clara pottery is the three step shape carved on the rim of the bowl. iva bowl are always difficult to make with the carved rim, which can crack in drying as well as in firing. Adding to the complexity of the bowl is that is fully polished on both the inside and outside! Amazing that it didn’t crack when polishing, as all the additional wet slip can seep through and cause cracks. The bowl is highly polished and striking in appearance. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret Tafoya”. It is in very excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 15,000.00
This is an exceptional larger bowl by Nancy Youngblood. Nancy is renowned for her melon carved bowls for which she has won numerous awards over the years. The “s” swirl, where it goes back and forth from the rim to the base, is one of her most famous and visually striking forms. This bowl has 32 ribs, each tightly carved, sharp on the edge and swirling from rim to base. The way the light hits the surface of the bowl simply perfect. Amazingly, Nancy says that she can only polish 3 ribs at a time, as they are so time involved. As well, each rib has two sides and so the actual volume of the bowl is nearly twice that of its size! Add to that the lid, which continues the melon rib design up above the rim of the jar. Each of Nancy’s lids is perfectly fit into the top at just one spot. This jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood”. Simply perfect!
$ 15,000.00
This jar by Maria Martinez is one of her classic pieces. It was made by Maria Martinez and painted by her daughter-in-law Santana Martinez (the wife of Adam Martinez). It is very highly polished and has a glassy surface. The design is a prayer feather pattern which is at an angle and then a cloud and rain design. The painting is very crisp and stands out against the highly polished surface. There are some small areas which are nearly gunmetal in appearance. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Marie + Santana”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Definitely a classic!
$ 1,800.00
While Blue Corn is often best known for her polychrome pottery, she began her career making black pottery. This is one of her earlier pieces from the 1960’s and it is deeply carved with an avanyu. The style of the carving is much like that seen in other early San Ildefonso potters, with a “cameo style”. The avanyu encircles the shoulder of the bowl. The piece is highly polished and fired a deep black. It is signed on the bottom in the clay “Blue Corn, San Ildefonso”. The bowl is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 575.00
This is an intricate jar by Dextra Quotskuyva. She is certainly one of the great innovators among Hopi-Tewa potters. Her work began with more classic imagery and then has evolved over the years to more unique and stylized designs. This piece is from the late 1980’s, which can be see in the color of the red clay, as well as her signature. The jar is a classic Hopi shape with a high shoulder and a slight neck. The inside of the neck is a matte red. The outside is fully polished and there are four moths as the design. Each moth has very intricate fineline hatchwork wings. The wings are also a polished red clay slip. The remainder of each moth is very delicately painted with thin lines. The jar is traditionally fired so that there are blushes and color variations around the surface. It is signed on the bottom with bee-weed, “Detra” with an ear of corn representing the Corn Clan. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Dextra has been the subject of a retrospective of her pottery at the Museum of Indian Art and Culture called, “Painted Perfection“.
$ 2,800.00
This is a striking jar by Margaret Tafoya from the 1980’s. It has one of her very classic swirling cloud patterns, which encompass the central band of the jar. The imagery has clouds, rain, mountains and lightning patterns. What makes it the most interesting is that it is very much like similar designs and shape she made in the 1950’s and yet on a smaller scale. Of course, by this time she was in her late 80’s, so smaller scale was expected! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret Tafoya” and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 2,000.00
Dorothy learned to make pottery from her mother, Mary Frances Herrera. Her grandmother, Laurencita Herrera, was one of the finest Cochiti potters of the 1930s through the 1970s. Her siblings, Edwin Herrera and Mary Ramona Herrera are well-known potters that use traditional pottery making methods passed down through their family. This is one of her classic style bear storytellers with two cubs. It is charming and fully painted with overalls on the bear! It is larger than many of her typical miniature storytellers. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 150.00
This is an extraordinary lidded jar by Dolores Curran. She continues to create intricately incised and painted pottery. This jar is incised with a flower design around the rim, below a mountain pattern. Separating the flowers are cloud and rain designs. Below the flowers is an angular mountain pattern and then a series of very tightly incised feathers which are at an angle. Note how in all these areas they are incised (which means lightly carved into the clay) and the recessed areas are slipped with a red clay. Around the shoulder is a cameo style carved avanyu, It is very deeply carved for its size and now all the changes in design as the jar is turned! The lid of the jar is fully polished and has a cloud motif. There are additional dragonflies painted on the top of the lid and clouds on the top of the rim. The base of the jar is fully polished. It is stunning in detail for the size!
$ 1,200.00
This is a classic bowl by 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. Each piece was coil built and it was the carving, with the rounded edges, which was a visual key to her work. Like many of her bowls, this one is polished on the interior! This always adds more difficulty to the bowl, as the extra moisture from the additional slip inside the bowl can seep out and cause cracking when polishing. However, the end result is that the inside of the bowl glows as if there is a liquid inside! The outside of this piece has deeply carved panels with rain and lightning designs. The bowl is highly polished and striking from the firing. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Jennie Trammel” in the clay on bottom.
$ 1,800.00
Stunning! This is a stunning jar 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. Each piece was coil built and it was the carving, with the rounded edges, which was a visual key to her work. This jar is one of her classic shape with the high shoulder. The band is carved with a sun pattern which turns into mountains, clouds and rain. The design is varied as the jar is turned. The carving is very deep and the piece is a very deep red. The background area is matte and the traditional creame colored clay slip. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Jennie Trammel” in the clay on bottom. Definitely one of her classics!
$ 4,500.00
Robert Vigil learned to make pottery from Lonnie Vigil and Virginia Gutierrez. Each piece is coil made with micaceous clay and micaceous clay slipped. They are traditionally fired to create the black coloration. This is a classic bowl shape on which the focus is the firing and the coloration. The black varies from dark areas to nearly gunmetal. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 110.00
Robert Vigil learned to make pottery from Lonnie Vigil and Virginia Gutierrez. Each piece is coil made with micaceous clay and micaceous clay slipped. They are traditionally fired to create the black coloration. This jar has a sharp edge and an elongated shape. The surface is smooth and the coloration is striking. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 150.00
Helen Cordero is undoubtedly one of the great names in Cochiti pottery. It was in 1964 that Cordero said she made her first storyteller. According to her, “I made some more of my Storytellers with lots of children climbing on him to listen, then I took them up to the Santo Domingo Feast Day” and the rest is history. Her pieces were all males, to honor her grandfather, whom she would hear telling children stories of Pueblo life and culture. She received the New Mexico Governor’s award in 1982 and the NEA Heritage Fellowship in 1986. This is one of her classic male or grandfather drummers. Here the figure is holding a drum on his lap and the drumstick in his other hand. Her husband would usually make the drumsticks for her. Note the intricacy of the painting on the entire piece. She has used a variety of traditional Cochiti designs on the figure. It is signed on the bottom, “Helen Cordero”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 9,000.00
This bowl was made and polished by Sue Tapia and etched with designs by Tom Tapia. It is a very intricate piece of his work as it is fully designed. The shape of the bowl has a kiva step design on one side. Around the shoulder is a water serpent and as the bowl is turned there is a Pueblo drummer and Deer Dancer. The next scene is a Pueblo and bear fetish. Below the kiva step carved rim is a sun design. The reddish coloration is added after the firing. The bowl is signed, “Tom & Sue Tapia”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 600.00
Marcellus Medina is known for contemporary painted pottery. The jar is made by his wife, Elizabeth Medina. Marcellus has painted on the surface with acrylic. The jar has male and female buffalo dancers on the sides. There are additional heartline deer along with Zia style rain clouds. The rain cloud patterns are very tightly painted. The jar is signed on the bottom, “M. Medina”.
$ 300.00
This is a striking seedpot by Grace Medicine Flower is from 1980. It is fully polished and etched with a pheasant as the design on the top of the piece. There are plants below and cloud and wind designs around the bird. What is really exceptional on this piece is zoom in on the tan area where she has etched away from the red. There are very tiny etched half circle designs which surround the bird! Amazing! The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in excellent condition with no chips,cracks restoration or repair.
$ 1,200.00
This is one of the few carved pieces we have ever seen by Tonita Roybal. She is one of the great innovative names in San Ildefonso pottery. This jar is carved with an avanyu around the body of the piece. The avanyu is polished while the red of the jar is matte red. What makes this piece so exceptional is the bottom, which has one of the Santa Fe Indian Market stickers, which they began using in 1936! It is also signed, “Tonita” in the clay on the bottom. It is overall in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair and certainly one of the most unique pieces of her pottery we have seen. It’s exciting to see that she excelled in both carved and painted pottery!
Click here to learn more about the Early San Ildefonso Innovators!
$ 2,800.00
This wide shoulder bowl by Juanita Pena is from the 1930’s and it is carved with an avanyu as the design. Juanita and Tony Pena had a particular style to their avanyu with the triangular eye. As well, the carving was more in the “cameo” style, as note that the avanyu is in raised relief. It is the small details which are so striking on their work, such as the polished rim and the polish at the base of the bowl. It is signed, “Juanita, San Ildefonso” and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
San Ildefonso Pottery Innovators -1920-1940
$ 850.00
This is a certainly a later jar by Ramona Gonzales. Ramona was known for her delicately painted pottery. This is one of the only carved pieces of her pottery we have seen. The avanyu is carved in a cameo style, much like that of Rose Gonzales. Note how the clouds extend down from the neck and the complexity of the head of the avanyu. It is an exceptional piece by Ramona. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Ramona”. It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is some wear on the surface. This is definitely a significant and rare piece of her pottery.
San Ildefonso Pottery Innovators -1920-1940
$ 1,800.00
Desideria Montoya Sanchez was a sister of noted potter Maria Martinez. She was known for her traditional pottery and use of both classic and innovative designs. This tall jar is a shape that was used by both her and Maria during the 1920’s. It is a tall shaped jar with a high shoulder. The jar here is highly polished and has a cloud design painted around the neck and then additional rain and wind designs around the shoulder. The painted designs here are so bold that they give a very modernistic appearance to the jar. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Desideria”.
$ 2,000.00
Isabel Pena was one of the early San Ildefonso potters. This is one of her few carved pieces. It is most likely that she made the plate and then it was carved by her daughter, Terasita. The style of carving is similar to that of her daughter. The front of the plate is polished red and carved with an avanyu. The interior carved area is filled in with the a cream colored clay. The back of the plate is also fully polished and it is tan. The plate is signed on the back in the clay, “Isabel”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Isabel Pena was a granddaughter of Cipriana Pena and a daughter of Tonita Pena (ca 1847-1910) who was known for making large storage vessels. Isabel was the wife of Pasqual Martinez. She was also the mother of noted potters Terasita Martinez and Petronella Martinez. Her great-grandson, Elvis Torres continues to make pottery today.
For more information on the Early San Ildefonso Innovators, Click Here.
$ 650.00
This wide shoulder bowl by Juanita Pena is from the 1930’s and it is carved with an avanyu as the design. Juanita and Tony Pena had a particular style to their avanyu with the triangular eye. As well, the carving was more in the “cameo” style, as note that the avanyu is in raised relief. It is the small details which are so striking on their work, such as the polished rim and the polish at the base of the bowl. It is signed, “Tony + Juanita, San Ildefonso” and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
San Ildefonso Pottery Innovators -1920-1940
$ 950.00
This bowl is one of the very few red pieces we have seen by Juanita Gonzales. It is carved with the cameo style which Juanita learned from Rose Gonzales. It has a mountain carved with a step design and the arch above is the rainbow. The bowl is highly polished and the red is a deep coloration. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Juanita”. It is great to find one of their red pieces in such wonderful condition!
Click here to read more about the “Early San Ildefonso Innovators”
$ 600.00
This is a fascinating bowl by Terasita Martinez. She was a daughter of noted potter Isabel Pena. She married Juan Martinez in 1933 and they often worked together on pottery. She also helped her mother with the carving on her pottery. Terasita’s pottery is very distinctive with the reverse carved style of avanyu. As well, she had such a short lifespan that she did not make that much pottery, and even less of it seems to have survived over time. Interestingly, we see have come across pieces of her pottery mis-attributed to “Terasita Naranjo”. However, the carving style and designs are completely different. This jar is signed, “Terasita & Juan”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
For more information on the Early San Ildefonso Innovators, Click Here.
$ 900.00
Mark Tahbo learned to make pottery from his great grandmother, Grace Chapella. His pieces reflect the wonderful symmetry and thin walls of an excellent potter. This tile is made from the traditional red clay at Hopi. It is painted with a Sikyatki style bat as the design. The bat has additional designs on the wings. Note as well the stars in the sky. The piece is signed on the back with Mark’s hallmark, which represents that he is tobacco clan.
$ 250.00
Mark Tahbo learned to make pottery from his great grandmother, Grace Chapella. His pieces reflect the wonderful symmetry and thin walls of an excellent potter. The designs are painted using native clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black. This wide shoulder bowl has the moth pattern which was made famous by Grace Chapella. The moths are male and female (check out the painting on the heads). The triangular design to the right of each moth is meant to represent each of the three Hopi mesas. The bowl is traditionally fired to create the blushes on the surface. It is signed on the bottom with Mark’s hallmark, which represents that he is tobacco clan.
$ 600.00
It’s not often that you see “The Perfect” gunmetal piece by Maria Martinez. This jar is one of those pieces. The water jar has a fluted rim and a wide shoulder. There is a slight indention for the shoulder of the jar. However, what makes it so “perfect” is the firing. It is so perfectly gunmetal in firing that the surface has a silvery appearance. It even appears more gunmetal in low light! The jar is quite extraordinary as the gunmetal color is created from the heat of the firing. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Maria Poveka”. This is a combination of her Anglo and Tewa names. Her name, “Poveka” means “Water Lilly”. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
Maria Martinez Signatures
$ 7,200.00
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 Victor Higgins. The style is cubist and captures a similar theme to Higgins later work. The bowl is coil built and has the image on the inside. The outer rim is left natural. The bowl is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,200.00
Spectacular! This is an amazing jar by Nathan Youngblood. The jar is a large coil built piece which has been carved, stone polished and traditionally fired. The neck of the jar is carved with four bear paw medallions. The different medallions represent four generations of potters including Sara Fina Tafoya, Margaret Tafoya, Mela Youngblood and Nathan Youngblood. They are separated by four lightning designs. Below the bear paws are a series of four rain clouds. The central band of the jar contains two interwoven avanyu (water serpent) designs. Note the amazing complexity in the design of the bodies of the avanyus! These sections are all polished red. Near the base are five tan polished cloud patterns. It is amazing the amount of carving on this large jar and the coloration from the firing. The deep red is in perfect contrast to the tan polished surfaces. The lid is tan and has symbols for the four directions. On his red and tan pieces, after they are fired, Nathan uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving. This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself! Amazing the amount of time that goes into each vessel and yet how stunning they appear! Certainly an amazing jar for his history, story and complexity!
$ 48,000.00
Nathan has created his own distinctive “polychrome” style of pottery with the use of the red, tan and buff surfaces on his pottery. This large water jar is an elegant form with a round base and a slightly elongated neck. The jar has is polished tan on the inside of the rim and the neck. The neck is carved with eagle feathers while the shoulder is polished red and carved with an avanyu. As the jar is turned the body of the avanyu consists of cloud and rain patterns. Below the avanyu is a band of kiva step patterns. The jar is traditionally fired and has a striking contrast between the deep red and the tan polished areas. On his red and tan pieces, after they are fired, he uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving. This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself! The last photo shows Nathan using the screwdriver to scrape away against the clay from the carved edges and background. Amazing the amount of time that goes into each vessel and yet how stunning they appear!
$ 18,000.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This large open bowl 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 is a set of pieces, which tell the story both of a painting by EI Couse, but also the importance of water to the Pueblo world. Susan says of this piece:
“There is a painting by EI Couse of Flute Player ceremony at Hopi. It was a serene image focusing on the dancers asking for rain for the village. The drop of rain hits a bowl and the water splashes out. In this water, I painted a reflection of the Flute Player ceremony. I wanted to reflect the prayers for rain in the puddle of water. There is the water that is here and the water that is coming.
This is a multi-piece set. The bowl has a rain drop and the water splashing out. The large flat piece has the painted scene from the Couse painting. There are additional smaller droplets of water to surround the larger piece. It is a striking, thoughtful and timely set of pieces. The last photos here are the actual painting for comparison. The pieces are signed on the bottom.
$ 3,200.00
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. 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.
$ 650.00
This is a stunning red jar by Nathan Youngblood. The shape of the jar is based on the classic water jar, which Nathan has elongated. The jar has a turned out rim and a double shoulder. The design of the jar is inspired by the work of Nathan’s grandmother, Margaret Tafoya. The jar has a single bear paw medallion in Margaret’s style. As the jar is turned the opposite side has a water serpent (avanyu) which is cut at a spiraling angle around the jar. There are several bands of design, each with a different part of the story. The avanyu, the sun and the bear paw medallion. Each connected to the next. The rim has a triangular design which represent the rain falling in the sunlight. The jar is very deeply carved and highly polished. The coloration is a deep red and the base is tan. It is a beautiful tribute and a stunning vessel in shape and design.
$ 21,000.00
This is a stunning jar by Tammy Garcia who is known for her contemporary designs and use of traditional clay. This jar is in a canteen shape with a wide body and rounded end. The jar is carved with flowers and a dragonflies. Each flower has carved petals which are stone polished. Tammy carved the round sections of various flowers to create a variety of dimensions to the piece. The top is also and has flowers with raised sections. Tammy said that at times she could only polish two or three petals at a time to get the high shine she was looking to achieve. One one side is a large dragonfly medallion with her new style “frame” encircling the figure. The dragonfly is layered over an area which is stippled with tiny dots into the clay. The center of the dragonfly has two pieces of Sleeping Beauty turquoise. The jar has been traditionally fired black and that is possibly the most stunning aspect of the work as it has a near gunmetal appearance! The contrast of the black polished and black matte areas is spectacular! Tammy is never content with her pottery and each new pieces takes her unique style to a new level. Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery for nearly the past 30 years. Her creative work in clay, glass and bronze is found in museums worldwide. It is exciting to see how her contemporary work continues to move Pueblo pottery forward with it innovations. We are proud to be the only gallery currently representing her new works in clay.
$ 18,000.00
Al Qoyawayma calls the shape of this jar his “Harmony Shape”. It has an elongated neck and round body. It is carved on both sides. One side has flower,s the other a figure. The carved areas have additional clay slips. It is simple and elegant, definitely harmonious! All the various colors are derived from native clays. It is a classic piece with a striking balance of designs and form.
$ 4,500.00
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 Tahu, the Blind Archer. Here she is depicted with a rose in her mouth. 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.
$ 650.00
Al Qoyawayma often creates vessels based on ancient forms. This large jar is based on the Gila River forms which were wide and had a low, sharp shoulder. On this jar, it is fully polished and Al has created a scene with figurative dancers which are pushed out from the inside in the clay. The jar has a procession of dancers encircling the piece. Each is matte while the area around is polished. The last figure is a small boy and as the jar is turned, he is being chased by a jaguar! The form and design are both humorous and charming on this piece. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 14,000.00
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
This is one of the most complex and largest carved jars by Les Namingha to date. The jar has separated bands of deep carving with cloud, lightning, rain and bird wing designs. Each band is deeply carved and painted. Note the complexity of the carving and the number of sharp angles! Near the neck are circular carved sections. The coloration and design is stunning on this large jar. Les is a descendant of Nampeyo and learned to make pottery from his aunt Dextra Quotskuyva. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 7,500.00
This is a spectacular piece from Al Qoyawayma. It is one of his architectural pieces with a design which combines both Ancetral Pueblo and Mayan architectural styles. The form of the building is inspired by the Mayan Uxmal Governor’s Palace building with the wide elongated front. The square doors and the straight portico are part of this style. Al says of this piece, ”
“Uxmal is a site in the Yucatan and was home to about 25,000. The original site was build by the Maya’s and later taken over by Uto-Aztecan speaking Toltecs, as were other locations such as Chichen Itza. This site has numerous large buildings, pyramids (the largest is the “Pyramid of the Magician”) and the “Nunnery”, along with a large ball court. The building I am emulating is the “Governor’s Palace” built with very finely cut stone…better than Chaco. It is rectangular….and about 300-400 feet long, 100-150 feet wide and 30-40 feet high. There are two large inset trapezoidal (corbel) arches on the long axis on each side of the building, along with 9 smaller doorways. The trapezoids are filled in with cut stone to form “tee-doors”. A geometric analemma (spiral) patterns (annual path of the sun) are inset in stone next to the doors (but not in my piece), and very impressive. A very long wide paved roadway (sacbe…”white roadway”) intersects the steps of the southeast face of the building, sort of like a royal entrance. This sacbe interconnects Uxmal with Kabah site which also has corbelled arches.
I was inspired by the visiting the site. The Pyramid of the Magician has Hopi migration symbols at the top. Of course, the “Tee door” is emulated throughout the southwest. The Governor’s Palace has a very formal, stately, impressive architecture. Given our Hopi stories of interconnection with the south (Uto-Aztecan speaking Toltec, Mixtec, Zapotec, Aztec, with Hopi being a Northern dialect) and the stories of “red cities to the south with running water, etc, make this structure of natural interest to me. These implications and my visit there created the inspiration for this piece.”
Technically, the architectural scene is created in repousse, as it is pushed out from the clay to create the structures. They are then refined and incised to create the intricate stone work and various levels. It is both beautiful and complex as he carried the walls off to the side of the bowl. Note the color variations on the buildings, which are created using various clay slips. Al’s architectural pieces are among his most iconic works!
$ 10,500.00
Nathan has created his own distinctive “polychrome” style of pottery with the use of the red, tan and buff surfaces on his pottery. This large water jar is an elegant form with an elongated neck. The entire jar is fully carved! The neck is tan with a walking bear paw design. The shoulder of the jar is carved with cloud and rain designs and polished red. The base is the amazing section with the carved areas which extend up from the base. The carving in the negative space areas is always more difficult. Those areas represent the corn plants and the water springs. The contrast of the polished red and tan is stunning! It is an exceptionally intricate jar with sharp edges and complex patterns. The jar is traditionally fired and has a striking contrast between the deep red and the tan polished areas. On his red and tan pieces, after they are fired, he uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving. This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself! Amazing the amount of time that goes into each vessel and yet how effortless it seems that Nathan is able to capture the beauty of his work.
$ 16,000.00
Nathan Youngblood is renowned for his deeply carved pottery and spectacular polished surfaces. This jar is fully carved and polished a glassy red. Around the shoulder is a deeply carved avanyu encircling the piece. This classic Santa Clara design has cloud and rain patterns as part of the body of the water serpent, and the story of how it saved the village from a flood. Below the avanyu are cloud designs and the ‘walking bear paw’ design. There is a matte band separating the avanyu from the designs below. The lid, however, is the perfect addition to the jar! It is tan polished and has a matte melon swirl top! The contrast of the matte with the red and tan is visually striking on this piece. On Nathan’s red and tan pieces, after they are fired, he uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving. This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself! The jar is signed on the bottom with his name and deer tracks representing his name in Tewa.
$ 8,800.00
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.
$ 4,500.00
Al Qoyawayma calls the shape of this jar his “Serenity vase”. It is a distinctive form with the two overlapping spouts. This polychrome jar is carved with an abstract Hopi style bird on one side. It has various layers of carving which give added depth to the design. The opposite side has a pueblo cliff dwelling which has areas which are recessed and the entire surface is fully carved! Note the various shapes of the doors with the “key hole” opening. All the various colors are derived from native clays. It is a classic piece with a striking balance of designs and form.
$ 3,900.00
This is a thoughtful piece from Al Qoyawayma. It is one of his architectural pieces, with the pueblo wall scene carved into the center of the jar. The shape has two lobes and the top and bottom part are polished. It is the center section which is fascinating with four different styles of pueblo doorways! Each of these are each carved into the clay and note the detail on the walls. The color variations is created using various clay slips. Al’s architectural pieces are among his most iconic works!
$ 7,500.00
This is a classic elongated neck water jar by Nathan Youngblood. The jar is carved around the shoulder with a complex cloud and rain design. The cloud and rain pattern interconnect as the jar is turned. Interestingly, Nathan has carved into the negative space near the base of the jar. This carving is meant to represent the underground springs which absorb and then distribute the rain from above. Note how they flow and curl around the side and to the base of the jar. The remainder of the piece is fully polished to a glassy appearance. The lid is polished tan, which is difficult to achieve. Only water is used to polish the surface of the piece and then it is fired the natural color of the clay. The lid is carved with the rising sun on one side and the setting sun on the other. The rays of the sun reflect down on the rain and water represented in the jar. The carving on the lid is deep and a striking complement to the depth of the carving on the jar. The balance of the form, polish and carving are all central to the work of Nathan Youngblood. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and hallmarked name in Tewa.
$ 18,000.00
This triangular “box” by Al Qoyawayma is an exceptional piece of his pottery. The shape is distinctive with the three flat sides and the flat lid. The three sides allow him space to create his multi-layer carved designs. On the “back” panel is the classic Month Man which is derived from ancient kiva art. Here he is depicted with a plant design. On the there is a Hopi style bird with cloud and lightning designs above. On the opposite side is a complex pattern of bird wings and a old style bird near the base. The lid is carved in multiple layers and has a swirled bird and prayer feathers. The various layers of carving allow for him to give additional depth to the piece. The colors are all natural clay slips which are often stone polished to create the shine in contrast to the matte surfaces. The colorations on this piece are stunning and add to the striking appearance and balance of form, sculpture and design!
$ 11,700.00
This large storage jar by Virgil Ortiz captures his story of the Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180. The jar is coil built and painted with wild spinach (for the black). The imagery capture Tahu the Blind Archer one one side and one of the Runners in a 2180 format. There is imagery of Translator, who tells the story of both time periods of the Pueblo Revolt. Finally, there is another figure, morphing between man and bird. It is an intricately painted jar and massive in size! It is an exceptional piece of pottery that continues to tell the story of the resilience of the Pueblo people. Note how Virgil uses his graphic style lines and classic Cochiti imagery to enhance the faces and figures on the vessel! There is a space on the rim of the neck where it is unpainted, which is the “heartline”, which Virgil always paints on his clay vessels. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 19,000.00
This jar is an unusual shape for Al Qoyawayma. The jar has a base which then extends out to the body of the piece. The entire piece is fully polished tan with one carved area of design. The image is the “mosquito man”, which is seen on Kiva Murals and pre-historic pottery throughout the Southwest. Note the various levels of carving on this piece from the face of the figure all they way to the stars in the sky. All the various colorations are natural clay slips which are matte and polished. The lid is another unique shape, which seems to replicate the overall shape of the jar. It is a stunning piece with a simplicity in form but complexity in the design.
$ 4,500.00
This is a exceptional large jar by Les Namingha. Les is a descendant of Nampeyo and learned to make pottery from his aunt Dextra Quotskuyva. This jar is carved with a series of corn plant extending up from the base and down from the neck. They are stylized and deeply carved. Les said he chose the coloration so that it would have more of the appearance of a bronze. The organic coloration adds to the depth of the piece. The shape is one that Les creates often with the high shoulder and the slight neck. There is something both modern and very ancient about this jar! It is signed on the bottom.
$ 6,000.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This large open bowl 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 bowl is inspired by a painting by Bert Greer Phillips, one of the founding members of the Taos Society of Artists. Susan says of this piece,
“Greer is known for paintings of peasant scenes in Europe. He depicts Taos villagers in a noble way. My intent was to have the image inside the bowl so that the painting was framed by the pot itself. I wanted to capture the same nobility in the Corn Maidens with their baskets and all the colors of the corn”.
The exterior of the bowl is fully stone polished. It has a striking form with a very round shoulder. The interior of the bowl is fully painted. There is a basket design, then corn and finally the Taos scene in the center. Note the detail in the corn and the baskets! The contrast of the polished exterior and the painted interior is striking. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 4,500.00
This stirrup jar by Al Qoyawayma is inspired by historic pieces with a similar handle and wide body. The jar has two spouts and he has carved on both sides of the piece. The carved areas areas are also polished, which is striking with the this carving of some of the sections! The ends are carved and the colors are derived from various clay slips. The contrast of carved, polished and matte surfaces works beautifully on this piece. The various layers of carving allow for him to give additional depth to the piece.
$ 9,500.00
This jar is a stunning new piece by Tammy Garcia. The jar is carved with melon ribs which extend from the shoulder to the base. The ribs are then carved with dragonflies across the entire surface. Each one is carved into the clay at various levels. There are two quail, one on each side. The quail are also carved at various levels. Note how each dragonfly has different colored clays used for the wings! There is a beautiful flow of design on this unique form. Each of the quail is surrounded Tammy’s new “frames’ which accentuate her designs. The jar has a single inset piece of turquoise. Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery for nearly the past 30 years. Her creative work in clay, glass and bronze is found in museums worldwide. It is exciting to see how her contemporary work continues to move Pueblo pottery forward with it innovations. We are proud to be the only gallery currently representing her new works in clay.
$ 8,600.00
Nathan Youngblood is one of the few Pueblo potters who creates large and intricately carved plates. In addition to the round and oval ones, he has also created his own distinctive form of the “tear drop” shape. This piece is coil built, carved, stone polished and traditionally fired. He designed this plate so that it has a “shield-like” appearance with a central medallion and the designs emanating out from the center. The imagery is all cloud and rain patterns. The band extending out from the center are slipped with a micaceous clay, creating another visual contrast from the matte and polished surfaces. The polished areas here are perfectly polished to a “glass-like” appearance. The piece is signed on the back with his name and Tewa name hallmark.
$ 11,500.00
This is a striking carved jar by Les Namingha. The shape of the jar is round with a slight indention before the neck. The neck is fully painted with orange bird wings and a linear maze design. The shoulder of the jar is carved with stylized Hopi birds with raised corn patterns and pointilism painting inside each bird. The base is carved with a complex maze pattern, similar to on the rim. The jar has a very modern style with very ancient designs. Les is a descendant of Nampeyo and learned to make pottery from his aunt Dextra Quotskuyva. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 4,000.00
It is not often that Virgil Ortiz creates such a traditional style of jar. This piece is coil built, polished and painted with wild spinach for the black. Virgil said that he was inspired by some historic Cochiti pottery recently to create this piece which has such classic imagery. The tall shape works perfectly for the designs. In addition to the focus on traditional imagery, there is also the complexity and intensity of design across the entire surface of the piece! The classic Cochiti cloud designs around the body of the jar are delicately painted. Around the neck are plant design with a single row of wild spinach leaf plant designs. There is a space on the rim of the neck where it is unpainted, which is the “heartline”, which Virgil always paints on his clay vessels. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 4,000.00
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 Tahu, the Blind Archer. Here she is depicted in her futurist gear in 2180. The face is delicate and intricately painted. 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.
$ 650.00
Tammy Garcia is known for her contemporary designs and use of traditional clay. This jar incorporates her evolving style of carving her pieces in various layers in the clay. There are medallions on each side of the bird. They have flowers carved in relief which create the “frame” around the piece. The birds are each delicately carved into the clay and have additional small flowers near them. Each of the birds is slipped with different clays to create the various colorations. Separating the two are flowers which are carved and stone polished. The jar is a beautiful shape with a round body and slight neck. The various levels of carving are striking as are the colors and the contrast of matte, polished and micaceous clay surfaces. Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery for nearly the past 30 years. Her creative work in clay, glass and bronze is found in museums worldwide. It is exciting to see how her contemporary work continues to move Pueblo pottery forward with it innovations. We are proud to be the only gallery representing her new works in clay.
$ 8,800.00
Shana Garcia is known for her very thin walled pottery. Each piece is coil built and painted with yucca to create the long thin lines. This jar has a series of bird wing patterns as part of the overall design. They swirl around the jar creating beautiful op-art imagery. The rim of the jar is sculptured with three pieces of clay and a fineline bird wing pattern. Shana said that this meant to represent the birds over the kivas. It is striking how she is able to combine such traditional imagery with such a modern appearance!
$ 850.00
Jennifer Moquino is known for her clay vessels and also her amazing animal figures. This bear is fired black. It is fully polished on its back. There is a feather pattern and bear paw etched on its back. Behind the bear paw are kiva steps, lightning and plant designs. All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips. Jennifer continues to be one of the leading innovative potters working today!
$ 250.00
Juan Cruz is creating some beautifully painted polychrome pottery. He is a son of noted potter Lois Gutierrez. Lois made the jar and Juan, who is noted for his illustrations, painted the design using natural clay slips.. This is Juan’s first attempt at a large vessel, which certainly requires different skills to paint something so large. Juan wrote of the scene he painted as follows:
“This jar depicts an array of hero warriors carrying their identifying shields with them as the rush forward into battle. The Blue Corn Girls look on as the scene is played out.”
The jar is truly polychrome (more than three colors of clay). Note the intricacy of the painted designs and especially the figures. They are each distinctive in stance or dress. Each shield is a different design and the designs on the girls dresses are also intricately painted. The jar has been traditionally fired outdoor and overall is a striking coloration. It is signed on the indented bottom of the jar by both Juan and Lois. The description is written on the back of a hand painted graphic of a Pueblo woman warrior with an avanyu in the background. What a phenomenal addition to this piece and the painting helps to better understand how exceptional Juan is with his art.
Juan also won “Best of Pottery” at Gallup Ceremonials in 2017!
$ 7,200.00
This is an unique jar by Steve Lucas. The jar has four foxes painted in the clay encircling the piece. Each has a section of fully polished red as part of the design. Below the shoulder is a geometric pattern which is a minimalist version of the coyote. What is really interesting about this jar is the clay. Steve mixed several different types of clay together on the rim. See the photo of the rim, and it is possible to see how the two clays look unpolished on the inside and polished on the outside! The base of the jar is slipped with a brown clay and also fully polished. It is a striking design and exceptional use of clay. The jar was traditionally fired and has slight color variations from the firing. It is signed on the bottom with his name and an ear of corn (Corn Clan) and a Mudhead Katsina.
$ 1,400.00
This is a stunning jar by Steve Lucas. The jar has grasshoppers painted on the top. This is a very old design and one that Steve said he learned from Dextra Quotskuyva. Each of the four grasshoppers is painted with red, green and brown clay slips. The colored clays are all stone polished. Below the very sharp shoulder is a plant design. The bottom of the jar is fully polished with a red clay slip. The black areas are all painted with bee-weed, a plant. The flow, design and coloration of this jar is exceptional and it is exciting to see such a classic design revived in such a modern style! The jar was traditionally fired and has slight color variations from the firing. It is signed on the bottom with his name and an ear of corn (Corn Clan) and a Mudhead Katsina.
$ 2,000.00
Harrison Begay, Jr. has won numerous awards over the years for his deep carved pottery. This jar is deeply carved and has a Navajo Yei figure as the central design. As the jar is turned there are feathers extending out from the figure. There are cloud, wind and a spiraling bird pattern. Note the deeply carved area with the little dots and the rain cloud below. It is a striking jar with a nearly gunmetal fired surface. The contrast of the polished and matte areas is perfect! Note as well the style of carving, which has a beveled appearance to the angle of the cuts into the clay. This is a very distinctive style of carving for his pottery. Harrison has won numerous awards for his work and continues to be one of the leading innovators in Native American Indian pottery. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 1,100.00
Rainy Naha learned to make pottery from her mother, Helen “Featherwoman” Naha. Rainy continues is a similar style using a white clay slip as the foundation for her work. This jar is one of her tall forms with hummingbirds as the design. Each pair of hummingbirds are separated by a plant design in the center and a rain design on the rim. Each bird has a variety of designs derived from classic Hopi pottery. Rainy uses natural clay slips (bee-weed for the black) and a white kaolin clay. Each of her pieces is also traditionally fired which gives the white a very pearlescent appearance. It is signed on thbottom with a feather and “Rainy”.
$ 500.00
Harrison Begay, Jr. has won numerous awards over the years for his deep carved pottery. This jar is deeply carved and has a butterfly and dragonflies as the design. Separating them are cloud and water designs which are carved into the clay. Harrison contrasts matte and polished surfaces to create a striking visual contrast to his pottery. What makes this jar special are the little handles. They are small and fully polished, which is amazing! They extend from the polished rim to the shoulder. The jar is fired to a near gunmetal appearance. Note as well the style of carving, which has a beveled appearance to the angle of the cuts into the clay. This is a very distinctive style of carving for his pottery. Harrison has won numerous awards for his work and continues to be one of the leading innovators in Native American Indian pottery. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 1,100.00
This is one of the largest polychrome jars we have had from Dolores Curran. She continues to create intricately incised and painted pottery. She was inspired to create these red polychrome incised and painted by her husband, Alvin Curran. He was known for his incised San Juan style pottery in the 1990’s. This jar is extraordinary in its design! The jar has a polished rim and there incised feathers and prayer feathers incised into the neck. Below the feathers is a carved avanyu which is matte. Below the avanyu are baskets with prayer feathers as the design. The semi-circular pattern below the shoulder are incised feathers and rain. All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips. All the designs are incised (cut very shallow) into the clay! They are then highlighted with the clay slips. The base has a micaceous clay slip and the rim has intricately painted designs. Amazing detail and imagery! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 6,500.00
This is a charming black plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the plate while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da (1923-1971). The plate is highly polished and is one of his few pieces which has an animal motif. This plate has a skunk with a plant design. Popovi Da was an accomplished painter in the San Ildefonso two-dimensional style and this plate captures that style of his art. The skunk is painted much in the way it was on his polychrome pottery. It was only from 1956-9 that Popovi painted these pieces, which are among the most sought after and best of his career! It is signed on the back in the clay, “Maria Popovi“. The signature indicates that it was made around 1956-9. The plate is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 6,500.00
This is a smaller red bowl by Margaret Tafoya is from the 1980’s. The bowl is fully polished has a carved mesa and rain pattern. It is a simple pattern but it wonderfully also has a ribbon appearance. The the carved line below represents the path taken around the mountains. It is a simple but striking piece. The carving is deep and it is highly polished. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret Tafoya”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,800.00
Rose Simpson is one of the exciting innovative potters working today. This is an exceptional larger clay figure. The figure has her classic form and face. There is a blindfold and additional elements on her back. There are embellishments of leather and clay around the figure. Note the clay tab on the front! It is a striking and classic piece of her figurative pottery! Rose continues to expand her style in various museum exhibitions around the US and create new and more dynamic works in clay.
$ 8,500.00
Rose Chino was a daughter of noted potter Marie Z. Chino. This large bowl is painted with rain and cloud designs. The bowl has a very modernist style with the angular painting. The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Rose Chino”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. The bowl comes to us from the collection of Richard Spivey. It has his code number on the bottom that the piece was acquired in 1988.
$ 450.00
Sofia Medina was known for traditional style of Zia pottery. Each piece was coil built, painted with native clays and native fired. This is a large jar in the classic Zia shape. There are painted birds with rainbows on two sides. On the other two sides are the Zia sun design. The various colors are derived from natural clay slips. The jar is signed on the lower side “Sofia Medina, Zia”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is some slight areas of wear on the surface. The jar comes to us from the collection of Richard Spivey, who wrote “The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez” among other books. He purchased the jar in 1971. Inside there is also some of the basalt temper which is used to make Zia pottery. Richard noted of this jar, “It is somewhat overfired, but it does not detract from the beauty of his jar”. Very true! It is a beautiful jar and exceptional provenance!
$ 1,000.00
This is a charming black plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the plate while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da (1923-1971). The plate is highly polished and is one of his few pieces which has an animal motif. This plate has a prancing deer with a plant design below. Popovi Da was an accomplished painter in the San Ildefonso two-dimensional style and this plate captures that style of his art. The deer is beautifully painted in motion. It was only from 1956-9 that Popovi painted these pieces, which are among the most sought after and best of his career! It is signed on the back in the clay, “Maria Popovi“. The signature indicates that it was made around 1956-9. The plate is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 5,800.00
This is a charming gunmetal fired plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the plate while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da (1923-1971). The plate is highly polished and is one of his few pieces which has an animal motif. This plate has a pueblo style deer painted on the surface. Below the deer is a plant design. Popovi Da was an accomplished painter in the San Ildefonso two-dimensional style and this plate captures that style of his art. The deer is beautifully painted in motion. It was only from 1956-9 that Popovi painted these pieces, which are among the most sought after and best of his career! It is signed on the back in the clay, “Maria Popovi“. The signature indicates that it was made around 1956-9. The plate is also published in the book, “The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez” by Richard Spivey, on page 89. It is always a plus to have a piece which has been published in a significant book for both future authenticity and value. The plate is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 6,500.00
In the 1950's Maria Martinez created a series of pieces which were simply stone polished with no design. As she primarily made the pottery and polished it this was fitting with the other pieces of her career. This small bowl is fired with a near gunmetal appearance. It is possible as the bowl is turned to see how the gunmetal color (which comes from the firing) give the bowl a lustrous appearance. It is signed in the clay, “Maria Poveka”. This is a combination of her Anglo and Tewa names. Her name, “Poveka” means “Water Lilly”. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is one tiny blister on the piece which can be seen in the photos.
Maria Martinez Signatures
$ 5,300.00
This is classic plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the plate while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da (1923-1971). The plate is highly polished and has a near gunmetal shine. The avanyu is painted with the traditional horn and clouds around the body. There is a slight curve to the surface and the rim. It is signed on the back in the clay, “Maria Popovi 570“. The signature indicates that it was fired in May, 1970. The plate is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 2,500.00
BJ Frauga is known for her classic style of Jemez pottery. This oval shaped jar has a carved ribbon pattern. In the carved area it is painted with various clay slips to create a kiva step pattern. The remainder of the jar is fully polished tan, which is the natural color of the clay. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 300.00
This jar is by L. Charley Begay. The jar is coil built and has a handle. It has been traditionally fired and covered with pine pitch. There is a raised relief design on the rim of the jar. It received a second place ribbon at the 1969 Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonials and the artist’s name is on the ribbon. The jar comes from the collection of Richard Spivey, known for his books on Maria Martinez.
$ 175.00
Blue Corn is often best known for her polychrome pottery, she also made exquisite black-on-black pottery. Her learned to make pottery from Maria Martinez at San Ildefonso. This jar is very highly polished and painted with a feather pattern. There is a striking contrast of the painted areas with the highly polished surface. The shape of the jar is one of her classic shape with the low shoulder. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay “Blue Corn, San Ildefonso”. The bowl is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There are a few light surface scratches seen in the photos.
$ 775.00
Nathan Begaye was a unique innovator among Pueblo and Navajo potters. His ethnic connection to both Hopi and Navajo let his work flow between the two distinctive styles and yet find their own unique space. His work used traditional designs, forms and techniques, yet somehow appeared very modern. This is an exceptional jar by Nathan Begaye The shape has a low shoulder and a slightly turned out neck. The shoulder has melon ribs pushed out in the clay. Below the shoulder is very detailed painted Hopi style birds. Check out the very intricate checkerboard patterns. I remember watching Nathan create those patterns and work with the various colors of clay, all of which are natural. It was fascinating how he knew which ones he could polish and which ones to leave matte. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,500.00
Simple perfection for Nancy Youngblood. This amazing miniature bowl is from 1982 and it reflects why Nancy has been such a force in Pueblo pottery for over 30 years. The mini bowl has 36 carved feathers around the top of the bowl. There is a deeply carved avanyu around the shoulder of the piece. Take a close look at how deeply it is carved, it is astounding! The mini lid is perfectly in the opening. The bowl is highly polished to a stunning shine. The bowl has two ribbons, a first place from Santa Fe Indian Market and then a Best of Division ribbon as well! This is definitely a rare find, not only such a deeply carved and complicated miniature, but also the historic importance with the two ribbons! It is in perfect condition, with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood Cutler”. I’ll just say it again, simple. perfection.
$ 2,200.00
Susan Folwell is one of the great innovators in Pueblo pottery. Her work has made an impact in shape and design, as she tells her own story in clay. This extraordinary jar is beautifully coil built with an undulating form. The surface is etched with a male and female ram dancer on each side. They are separated by polished ellipses and checkerboard patterns. The color and flow of this piece are extraordinary. Susan says that it was inspired by a dream and that the clay was her way to tell this story. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,000.00
Blue Corn is certainly one of the most creative potters of her time with a varied used of clays and firing techniques to create her distinctive pottery. This is one of her distinctive red pieces. The jar is fully polished red and has a feather pattern painted along the body of the piece. Around the neck is a triangular mountain design. The jar is painted in a buff-on-red style. The highly polished red is in contrast to the matte painted surface. The jar was traditionally fired to create the coloration. The jar is signed in the clay on the bottom, “Blue Corn”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 2,000.00
Blue Corn is often best known for her polychrome pottery, she also made exquisite black-on-black pottery. Her learned to make pottery from Maria Martinez at San Ildefonso. This jar is very highly polished and painted with a feather and mountain pattern. There is a striking contrast of the painted areas with the highly polished surface. The shape of the jar is one of her classic shape with the low shoulder. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay “Blue Corn, San Ildefonso”. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is one small rub area shown in the photos.
$ 675.00
This is large Kiva Bowl by Margaret Tafoya. It is from the 1940’s. The bowl is unusual for its size and shape. The “kiva” is an underground ceremonial room, and there is a ladder out of the top. The representation of the kiva in Santa Clara pottery is the three step shape carved on the rim of the bowl. iva bowl are always difficult to make with the carved rim, which can crack in drying as well as in firing. Adding to the complexity of the bowl is that is fully polished on both the inside and outside! Amazing that it didn’t crack when polishing, as all the additional wet slip can seep through and cause cracks. The bowl is highly polished and striking in appearance. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret Tafoya”. It is in very excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 15,000.00
This is an exceptional larger bowl by Nancy Youngblood. Nancy is renowned for her melon carved bowls for which she has won numerous awards over the years. The “s” swirl, where it goes back and forth from the rim to the base, is one of her most famous and visually striking forms. This bowl has 32 ribs, each tightly carved, sharp on the edge and swirling from rim to base. The way the light hits the surface of the bowl simply perfect. Amazingly, Nancy says that she can only polish 3 ribs at a time, as they are so time involved. As well, each rib has two sides and so the actual volume of the bowl is nearly twice that of its size! Add to that the lid, which continues the melon rib design up above the rim of the jar. Each of Nancy’s lids is perfectly fit into the top at just one spot. This jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood”. Simply perfect!
$ 15,000.00
This jar by Maria Martinez is one of her classic pieces. It was made by Maria Martinez and painted by her daughter-in-law Santana Martinez (the wife of Adam Martinez). It is very highly polished and has a glassy surface. The design is a prayer feather pattern which is at an angle and then a cloud and rain design. The painting is very crisp and stands out against the highly polished surface. There are some small areas which are nearly gunmetal in appearance. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Marie + Santana”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Definitely a classic!
$ 1,800.00
While Blue Corn is often best known for her polychrome pottery, she began her career making black pottery. This is one of her earlier pieces from the 1960’s and it is deeply carved with an avanyu. The style of the carving is much like that seen in other early San Ildefonso potters, with a “cameo style”. The avanyu encircles the shoulder of the bowl. The piece is highly polished and fired a deep black. It is signed on the bottom in the clay “Blue Corn, San Ildefonso”. The bowl is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 575.00
This is an intricate jar by Dextra Quotskuyva. She is certainly one of the great innovators among Hopi-Tewa potters. Her work began with more classic imagery and then has evolved over the years to more unique and stylized designs. This piece is from the late 1980’s, which can be see in the color of the red clay, as well as her signature. The jar is a classic Hopi shape with a high shoulder and a slight neck. The inside of the neck is a matte red. The outside is fully polished and there are four moths as the design. Each moth has very intricate fineline hatchwork wings. The wings are also a polished red clay slip. The remainder of each moth is very delicately painted with thin lines. The jar is traditionally fired so that there are blushes and color variations around the surface. It is signed on the bottom with bee-weed, “Detra” with an ear of corn representing the Corn Clan. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Dextra has been the subject of a retrospective of her pottery at the Museum of Indian Art and Culture called, “Painted Perfection“.
$ 2,800.00
This is a striking jar by Margaret Tafoya from the 1980’s. It has one of her very classic swirling cloud patterns, which encompass the central band of the jar. The imagery has clouds, rain, mountains and lightning patterns. What makes it the most interesting is that it is very much like similar designs and shape she made in the 1950’s and yet on a smaller scale. Of course, by this time she was in her late 80’s, so smaller scale was expected! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret Tafoya” and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 2,000.00
Dorothy learned to make pottery from her mother, Mary Frances Herrera. Her grandmother, Laurencita Herrera, was one of the finest Cochiti potters of the 1930s through the 1970s. Her siblings, Edwin Herrera and Mary Ramona Herrera are well-known potters that use traditional pottery making methods passed down through their family. This is one of her classic style bear storytellers with two cubs. It is charming and fully painted with overalls on the bear! It is larger than many of her typical miniature storytellers. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 150.00
This is an extraordinary lidded jar by Dolores Curran. She continues to create intricately incised and painted pottery. This jar is incised with a flower design around the rim, below a mountain pattern. Separating the flowers are cloud and rain designs. Below the flowers is an angular mountain pattern and then a series of very tightly incised feathers which are at an angle. Note how in all these areas they are incised (which means lightly carved into the clay) and the recessed areas are slipped with a red clay. Around the shoulder is a cameo style carved avanyu, It is very deeply carved for its size and now all the changes in design as the jar is turned! The lid of the jar is fully polished and has a cloud motif. There are additional dragonflies painted on the top of the lid and clouds on the top of the rim. The base of the jar is fully polished. It is stunning in detail for the size!
$ 1,200.00
This is a classic bowl by 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. Each piece was coil built and it was the carving, with the rounded edges, which was a visual key to her work. Like many of her bowls, this one is polished on the interior! This always adds more difficulty to the bowl, as the extra moisture from the additional slip inside the bowl can seep out and cause cracking when polishing. However, the end result is that the inside of the bowl glows as if there is a liquid inside! The outside of this piece has deeply carved panels with rain and lightning designs. The bowl is highly polished and striking from the firing. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Jennie Trammel” in the clay on bottom.
$ 1,800.00
Stunning! This is a stunning jar 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. Each piece was coil built and it was the carving, with the rounded edges, which was a visual key to her work. This jar is one of her classic shape with the high shoulder. The band is carved with a sun pattern which turns into mountains, clouds and rain. The design is varied as the jar is turned. The carving is very deep and the piece is a very deep red. The background area is matte and the traditional creame colored clay slip. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Jennie Trammel” in the clay on bottom. Definitely one of her classics!
$ 4,500.00
Robert Vigil learned to make pottery from Lonnie Vigil and Virginia Gutierrez. Each piece is coil made with micaceous clay and micaceous clay slipped. They are traditionally fired to create the black coloration. This is a classic bowl shape on which the focus is the firing and the coloration. The black varies from dark areas to nearly gunmetal. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 110.00
Robert Vigil learned to make pottery from Lonnie Vigil and Virginia Gutierrez. Each piece is coil made with micaceous clay and micaceous clay slipped. They are traditionally fired to create the black coloration. This jar has a sharp edge and an elongated shape. The surface is smooth and the coloration is striking. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 150.00
Helen Cordero is undoubtedly one of the great names in Cochiti pottery. It was in 1964 that Cordero said she made her first storyteller. According to her, “I made some more of my Storytellers with lots of children climbing on him to listen, then I took them up to the Santo Domingo Feast Day” and the rest is history. Her pieces were all males, to honor her grandfather, whom she would hear telling children stories of Pueblo life and culture. She received the New Mexico Governor’s award in 1982 and the NEA Heritage Fellowship in 1986. This is one of her classic male or grandfather drummers. Here the figure is holding a drum on his lap and the drumstick in his other hand. Her husband would usually make the drumsticks for her. Note the intricacy of the painting on the entire piece. She has used a variety of traditional Cochiti designs on the figure. It is signed on the bottom, “Helen Cordero”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 9,000.00
This bowl was made and polished by Sue Tapia and etched with designs by Tom Tapia. It is a very intricate piece of his work as it is fully designed. The shape of the bowl has a kiva step design on one side. Around the shoulder is a water serpent and as the bowl is turned there is a Pueblo drummer and Deer Dancer. The next scene is a Pueblo and bear fetish. Below the kiva step carved rim is a sun design. The reddish coloration is added after the firing. The bowl is signed, “Tom & Sue Tapia”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 600.00
Marcellus Medina is known for contemporary painted pottery. The jar is made by his wife, Elizabeth Medina. Marcellus has painted on the surface with acrylic. The jar has male and female buffalo dancers on the sides. There are additional heartline deer along with Zia style rain clouds. The rain cloud patterns are very tightly painted. The jar is signed on the bottom, “M. Medina”.
$ 300.00
This is a striking seedpot by Grace Medicine Flower is from 1980. It is fully polished and etched with a pheasant as the design on the top of the piece. There are plants below and cloud and wind designs around the bird. What is really exceptional on this piece is zoom in on the tan area where she has etched away from the red. There are very tiny etched half circle designs which surround the bird! Amazing! The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in excellent condition with no chips,cracks restoration or repair.
$ 1,200.00
This is one of the few carved pieces we have ever seen by Tonita Roybal. She is one of the great innovative names in San Ildefonso pottery. This jar is carved with an avanyu around the body of the piece. The avanyu is polished while the red of the jar is matte red. What makes this piece so exceptional is the bottom, which has one of the Santa Fe Indian Market stickers, which they began using in 1936! It is also signed, “Tonita” in the clay on the bottom. It is overall in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair and certainly one of the most unique pieces of her pottery we have seen. It’s exciting to see that she excelled in both carved and painted pottery!
Click here to learn more about the Early San Ildefonso Innovators!
$ 2,800.00
This wide shoulder bowl by Juanita Pena is from the 1930’s and it is carved with an avanyu as the design. Juanita and Tony Pena had a particular style to their avanyu with the triangular eye. As well, the carving was more in the “cameo” style, as note that the avanyu is in raised relief. It is the small details which are so striking on their work, such as the polished rim and the polish at the base of the bowl. It is signed, “Juanita, San Ildefonso” and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
San Ildefonso Pottery Innovators -1920-1940
$ 850.00
This is a certainly a later jar by Ramona Gonzales. Ramona was known for her delicately painted pottery. This is one of the only carved pieces of her pottery we have seen. The avanyu is carved in a cameo style, much like that of Rose Gonzales. Note how the clouds extend down from the neck and the complexity of the head of the avanyu. It is an exceptional piece by Ramona. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Ramona”. It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is some wear on the surface. This is definitely a significant and rare piece of her pottery.
San Ildefonso Pottery Innovators -1920-1940
$ 1,800.00
Desideria Montoya Sanchez was a sister of noted potter Maria Martinez. She was known for her traditional pottery and use of both classic and innovative designs. This tall jar is a shape that was used by both her and Maria during the 1920’s. It is a tall shaped jar with a high shoulder. The jar here is highly polished and has a cloud design painted around the neck and then additional rain and wind designs around the shoulder. The painted designs here are so bold that they give a very modernistic appearance to the jar. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Desideria”.
$ 2,000.00
Isabel Pena was one of the early San Ildefonso potters. This is one of her few carved pieces. It is most likely that she made the plate and then it was carved by her daughter, Terasita. The style of carving is similar to that of her daughter. The front of the plate is polished red and carved with an avanyu. The interior carved area is filled in with the a cream colored clay. The back of the plate is also fully polished and it is tan. The plate is signed on the back in the clay, “Isabel”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Isabel Pena was a granddaughter of Cipriana Pena and a daughter of Tonita Pena (ca 1847-1910) who was known for making large storage vessels. Isabel was the wife of Pasqual Martinez. She was also the mother of noted potters Terasita Martinez and Petronella Martinez. Her great-grandson, Elvis Torres continues to make pottery today.
For more information on the Early San Ildefonso Innovators, Click Here.
$ 650.00
This wide shoulder bowl by Juanita Pena is from the 1930’s and it is carved with an avanyu as the design. Juanita and Tony Pena had a particular style to their avanyu with the triangular eye. As well, the carving was more in the “cameo” style, as note that the avanyu is in raised relief. It is the small details which are so striking on their work, such as the polished rim and the polish at the base of the bowl. It is signed, “Tony + Juanita, San Ildefonso” and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
San Ildefonso Pottery Innovators -1920-1940
$ 950.00
This bowl is one of the very few red pieces we have seen by Juanita Gonzales. It is carved with the cameo style which Juanita learned from Rose Gonzales. It has a mountain carved with a step design and the arch above is the rainbow. The bowl is highly polished and the red is a deep coloration. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Juanita”. It is great to find one of their red pieces in such wonderful condition!
Click here to read more about the “Early San Ildefonso Innovators”
$ 600.00
This is a fascinating bowl by Terasita Martinez. She was a daughter of noted potter Isabel Pena. She married Juan Martinez in 1933 and they often worked together on pottery. She also helped her mother with the carving on her pottery. Terasita’s pottery is very distinctive with the reverse carved style of avanyu. As well, she had such a short lifespan that she did not make that much pottery, and even less of it seems to have survived over time. Interestingly, we see have come across pieces of her pottery mis-attributed to “Terasita Naranjo”. However, the carving style and designs are completely different. This jar is signed, “Terasita & Juan”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
For more information on the Early San Ildefonso Innovators, Click Here.
$ 900.00
KING GALLERIES | 4168 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 | (480) 481-0187 | kgs@kinggalleries.com | SUBSCRIBE TO OUR E-NEWSLETTER TODAY!
Mobile version:
Enabled