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These are all the New Additions which have been added for the last 30 days.
NEW PIECES OF NATIVE AMERICAN POTTERY AND ART ARE ADDED EACH DAY, SO CHECK BACK.
This is one of the largest bears we have had from Russell Sanchez. He continues to use traditional techniques and materials to create his stunning works in clay. This bear is highly polished and fired to a striking gunmetal coloration. The bear has a wide body and a sculptural form. From the mouth of the bear is a heartline, which is a traditional image used to symbolize the heart as the center of power in the animal. In addition, the bear is a symbol of strength. On this piece, the heartline extends backward and rises up on the back and turns into an old style avanyu (water serpent). The style of the avanyu and the fine-line etching are inspired by the painted designs of Tonita Roybal in the 1920s. The back half of the bear continues the heartline and has two additional avanyu. Across the back of the bear are eight bands of square hematite hei-shi beads. So, why hematite? Russell has begun to use it on his recent pieces for several reasons. There is a traditional aspect in that women wear hematite bracelets when they do certain traditional dances at the Pueblo. There is also hematite content in the clay slips use on the pottery. Russell also notes that when he is able to fire his pieces to a gunmetal appearance, the hematite captures the shine and also gives them a contemporary appearance. As Russell has said
“I’m a traditionalist all the way through. Innovation is part of our tradition. You use the same materials and tools that you have, and the same design elements, and the Clay Mother will come through you for what she wants you to do,” he explains. “Instead of doing the same cloud pattern or serpent pattern, you take that and make it your own. So, in fact, everything I’m doing is old, but new.” Russell Sanchez, Southwest Art Magazine
This bear is a stunning example of how the history and culture of San Ildefonso Pueblo is modernized in concept in his hands. The bear is signed on the bottom in the clay. Simply stunning!
$ 9,000.00
This is a larger canteen by Virgil Ortiz. The piece is coil built and painted with native clay slips and wild spinach (a plant) for the black. The design on the front of the canteen is Tahu, the Blind Archer in her 1680 version. The story for this imagery from the Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180 series. Regarding Tahu, the Blind Archer, Virgil gave her the iconic line, “Don’t be blinded by your Fear”. The last photo is one by Virgil of Tahu standing in the forest and you can see where he has taken this imagery to create the design on the canteen. I wrote in Virgil Ortiz: Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180:
“In 2007 Ortiz began to identify and give form to characters who would populate his fictionalized version of the Pueblo Revolt: Tahu, a girl blinded by the Spanish conquistadors; Mopez, the leader of the Pueblo Runners; and the Castilians to represent the Spanish invaders. The characters who make up the Pueblo Revolt series are inspired by names and words in Keres (the indigenous language of Cochiti Pueblo) and other Puebloan languages. “Tahu” is a word used as a sign of respect for older Pueblo women. “Mopez” means “cardinal” and was the Keres name of Ortiz’s brother. “I wanted to use native language words and names to identify the characters. Part of the Revolt story had to be the actual events, but I also wanted it to tie into our language. If I could get the kids interested in history I might also be able to get them interested in our language and keep it alive.”
There are also two hummingbirds which are symbolic for Virgil’s mother, Seferina Ortiz, who taught him to make pottery. Can you see the “spirit line” in the design? It is at the rim of the canteen. The spirit line is a break in the painting and used on traditional Cochiti pottery. Virgil has also incorporated his signature “x”, which is the turkey track into the designs. The back of the canteen has a wildflower design which encircles the piece and flows onto the front. 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.
$ 3,200.00
Aaron Honyumptewa is both Hopi and Picuris. He is known for his very intricately carved katinsa dolls. In the last year he moved back to Picuris Pueblo in New Mexico, the home of his mother and family and has begun to learn to make pottery from his mother. The pottery is the traditional style of Picuris Pueblo and Aaron says he is hoping to help revive the art form. This jar has a high, round shoulder and a short neck. The opening is oval in shape and gives the jar a very modern appearance. The clay itself is a beautiful coloration with the classic gold clay color. It was traditionally fired to create the blushes on the surface. If Aaron works with the clay with the same creativity in which he carved katsinas, he has a bright future!
$ 175.00
Kimberly Riley Honyumptewa is from Laguna Pueblo and married to Aaron Honyumptewa who is Hopi/Picuris. She learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law Caroline Simbolo Cine in the traditional Picuris style and using native clay from the area. Each piece is coil built and traditionally fired. This wedding vase is a creative shape with the twisted handle and the organic flow of the spouts. The vase has a darker coloration from the fire clouds but the mica shows through beautifully! The vase is signed on the bottom. Kimberly’s work continues to evolve in creating more dynamic Picuris pottery!
$ 150.00
Kimberly Riley Honyumptewa is from Laguna Pueblo and married to Aaron Honyumptewa who is Hopi/Picuris. She learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law Caroline Simbolo Cine in the traditional Picuris style and using native clay from the area. Each piece is coil built and traditionally fired. This water jar has a beautiful coloration from the Picuris micaceous clay. It is a water jar and the rim is fluted and just below the shoulder it is carved with a cloud pattern! The base of the jar has a black coloration from the firing while the upper half is the gold clay color. The jar is signed on the bottom. Kimberly’s work continues to evolve in creating more dynamic Picuris pottery!
$ 275.00
Aaron Honyumptewa is both Hopi and Picuris. He is known for his very intricately carved katinsa dolls. In the last year he moved back to Picuris Pueblo in New Mexico, the home of his mother and family and has begun to learn to make pottery from his mother. The pottery is traditional style of Picuris pueblo and Aaron says he is hoping to help revive the art form! This larger bowl is made from Picuris micaceous clay. It has the “cloud” terraced rim and the “hobnail” additions to the side. These are often seen on historic Picuris pottery and it’s nice to see their revival. The clay itself is a beautiful coloration with the classic gold clay color. It was traditionally fired to create the blushes on the surface. If Aaron works with the clay with the same creativity in which he carved katsinas, he has a bright future!
$ 275.00
This jar by Eric Lewis has a round shoulder water jar shape and a short neck. The jar has a hummingbird as the central design. As the jar is turned there are linear bird wing and cloud patterns. Eric uses his designs to follow the shape of the jar and accentuate its form. The round shoulder and the placement of the head of the hummignbird on the neck is just perfect! Eric has taken classic Acoma linear designs and made them both bolder and more graphic. The result is a striking jar with tightly painted imagery. Eric remains one of the young Pueblo potters to watch!
$ 300.00
This is the first time Eric Lewis has painted such an intricate parrot on his pottery. The parrot has intricate lines and note as the jar is turned the additional classic style parrot and bird styles on the jar. The shape of this jar has a very round shape and slight neck. It’s a very strong form! Eric uses his designs to follow the shape of the jar and accentuate its form. Eric has taken classic Acoma linear designs and made them both bolder and more graphic. The result is a striking jar with tightly painted imagery. Eric remains one of the young Pueblo potters to watch!
$ 375.00
This is striking plainware bowl by Maria Martinez. 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 round bowl is fully polished and fired to a near gunmetal appearance. The gunmetal shine was achieved by the heat of the firing. The bowl is signed in the clay, “Maria Poveka”. This is a combination of her Anglo and Tewa names. Her name, “Poveka” means “Water Lilly”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,900.00
This jar by Maria Martinez is one of her classic pieces. It was made and polished by Maria Martinez and painted by her daughter-in-law Santana. It has a very highly polished surface. The design around the shoulder is a rain and plant pattern. It is tightly painted while allowing the polished surface of the bowl to remain exposed. The firing has given the bowl a nearly gunmetal appearance. The rounded shoulder and sloping neck are an excellent example of Maria’s pottery from this time. The jar is signed on the bottom, “Marie + Santana”. It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Definitely a classic!
$ 1,800.00
This is a short neck jar by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the jar while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da (1923-1971). The jar is highly polished and has the classic water serpent (avanyu) painted around the shoulder. This particular shape, with the round body and the short neck, is one which is easily one of Maria’s most famous forms. The firing is nearly gunmetal in coloration with a very high shine. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Maria Popovi 1069“. The signature indicates that it was made around in October 1969. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 4,400.00
This bowl by Effie Garcia has her classic shape with a narrow base and wide shoulder. Around the sides are six flowers carved deeply into the clay. Each of the flowers is outlined in clay, giving it a matte appearance. The bowl is highly polished and signed on the bottom.
$ 575.00
Madeline Naranjo (b. 1916) was known for her deep carved pottery. This jar has a round body and an elongated neck. The body of the jar is fully carved with a water serpent. Around the neck is a cloud pattern. The jar is very deeply carved with a lot of variation to the design around the piece. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Madeline Naranjo” on the bottom in the clay. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. While Madeline no longer makes pottery, her work is certainly a classic and her legacy continues in the pottery of her granddaughter, Madeline E. Naranjo.
$ 475.00
Jennifer Tafoya Moquino is known for her clay vessels and exceptional realistic animals. This jar is coil built and fully polished. It is a wonderful shape which is square on the sides and flat on the top. Technically that is always difficult to achieve with native clay. Jennifer often looks to designs beyond the Southwest for her imagery. This jar has four leafy sea dragons as the design. They are intricately etched and flow around the surface of the jar. All the colors are all from natural clay slips. Jennifer continues to be one of the leading innovative potters working today!
$ 1,500.00
Sofia Medina and her daughter Lois Medina were known for a traditional style of Zia pottery. Each piece was coil built, painted with native clays and native fired. This is jar is striking in design and a very classic Zia shape with the high shoulder and slight neck. The jar has two large sections with birds and very complex double rainbow band. Separating each of the rainbow bands are small cloud designs. The bird is surrounded by complex rain and flower designs. The opposite sides have large birds with a single rainbow band and flower patterns. Note how the rainbow bands are stone polished areas! There are equally complex variations of fine-line and hatchtwork patterns. Did you know that Zia potters use volcanic basalt as their temper for the clay, which gives these pieces their stability but also weight. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the side, “Sofia & Lois Medina”.
$ 2,800.00
Elizabeth White created distinctive pottery using the various colors of Hopi clay. She originated the use of the ear of corn as a design in repousse (pushed out from the inside) on her pottery. Her pottery is all signed in the clay with her Hopi name Polingaysi, which means, “butterfly sitting among the flowers in the breeze”. This jar is one of her classic pieces with two ears of corn. The coloration of the clay is the distinctive and much sought after “mauve”. The entire piece is stone polished to a high shine except for the two ears of corn which are unpolished matte. The narrow shape is very much like the jars that her nephew Al Qoyawayma makes which he calls “wish pots”. He tells the story that the name comes from Elizabeth as she said people would look at the pieces and say, “I wish I could have one”. This jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Interestingly, Polingaysi was a school teacher and taught at Hopi and Navajo schools for almost 40 years. On retirement from teaching, she became an artist, a poet, and a philosopher. Her career as a potter was begun late in life, after her retirement, so there is very little of her work available. It is a classic of her work and an important addition to any collection!
$ 1,200.00
Elizabeth White created distinctive pottery using the various colors of Hopi clay. She originated the use of the ear of corn as a design in repousse (pushed out from the inside) on her pottery. Her pottery is all signed in the clay with her Hopi name Polingaysi, which means, “butterfly sitting among the flowers in the breeze”. This jar is one of her classic narrow jars with two ears of corn. The coloration of the clay is the traditional red clay (well, reddish-orange), which is used in Hopi pottery. The coloration is striking on this larger jar. The entire piece is stone polished in a vertical manner and the figures are matte. There are two figures, which are taken from an Awatovi mural design. They are part of the winter “Bean Ceremony” when they grow bean sprouts in the kivas. The figures are pushed out from the inside of the jar, not applique on top of the surface. The jar is in good condition and a few rough area in the matte. Interestingly, Polingaysi was a school teacher and taught at Hopi and Navajo schools for almost 40 years. On retirement from teaching, she became an artist, a poet, and a philosopher. Her career as a potter was begun late in life, after her retirement, so there is very little of her work available. This is certainly one of the largest pieces we have had of her work in the gallery. The last photo is one of Elizabeth White working on this piece! Definitely check out the work of her nephew, Al Qoyawayma for comparison and the evolution of this style!
$ 5,500.00
Mary Cain was a daughter of Christina Naranjo and a granddaughter of SaraFina Tafoya. She was known for her classic style Santa Clara pottery. This bowl is carved with a cloud, lightning and wind pattern which encircles the piece. There is always a fluidity to her designs as they ebb and flow around the piece. The bowl is fired a dark black. It is signed on the bottom, “Mary Cain”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 300.00
Billy Cain was a son of noted potter Mary Cain. He created traditional Santa Clara carved and polished pottery, but often with his own flare of shape or design. This distinctive bowl is one of his smaller pieces from 1989. It has two bear paws on one section. The neck has a deeply carved band which encircles the bowl. The entire piece is polished, including the base. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Billy Cain”.
$ 225.00
This is a classic polychrome bowl by Blue Corn. Blue Corn began by making black-on-black pottery but it is her polychrome potter for which she is the most famous. This bowl is fully polished tan and painted with black and ochre-colored clays. The design around the rim is a rain and cloud design. ARound the body of the piece are squares which represent corn while they are separated by star designs. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Blue Corn”.
$ 1,500.00
This is an exceptional and unique larger bowl by Joseph Lonewolf form 1971. It is very highly polished and has the classic water serpent (avanyu) etched into the clay. Note that it is the gray area which is etched and the polished area makes up the avanyu! It still has a great polish so the design is difficult to see in the photos. However, note that Joseph always used the feathered water serpent, which is different in style from the others used at Santa Clara Pueblo. This bowl is also historically important relevant to the signature on the bottom, as it is actually before he began to number his pieces! It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Jospeh Lonewolf”.
$ 3,000.00
This piece by Anita Fields is an amazing combination of clay, cloth and articulation. The clay “doll” has separate arms and legs which have been joined together inside the body. They are articulated so that they actually move! The body of the figure and the chair are two separate pieces. Anita has added the cloth dress onto the figure. She says of the dress and clothing,
“Anita was influenced by traditional Osage ribbon work, clothing, and blankets. She also studied the objects and ceremonial dress of other tribes. The personal and emotional elements in these textile designs led Anita to use them symbolically in clay, translating the personality of these vestments into her work. About one of her recent series, Native American Dresses, which are coil-and slab-built installations, Anita says: “The dresses convey my attitudes toward the strength of women and how native peoples show remarkable resourcefulness and adaptability toward their environment. The clothing Indian women created shows great pride, dignity, and hope in a culture facing insurmountable odds.”
It is an exceptional piece combining culture and clay together. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,600.00
The figurative work of Virgil Ortiz is based on the historic Monos figures from Cochiti Pueblo which began in the 1880’s. The figures were created as social commentary in a world where various cultures were quickly filtering in and assimilating into New Mexico with the arrival of the railroads. This is one of the taller traditional-style figures we have had from Virgil. Amazingly, the entire piece is coil built so that it is hollow. The designs are painted on the clay surface using wild spinach (a local plant). This figure is one of his “opera singers” who Virgil called, “Madame Butterfly”, with her butterfly wings. He created a series of “opera singers” in the late 1990’s and they remain one of the most sought-after of his earlier works. Note the incredible detail in the dress with the tiny tendril of designs. There are extensions of the wings on the side. The face is dramatic and expressive! There is something wonderfully powerful about the pieces in terms of design and scale! The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery, continuing to push the boundaries of contemporary Native clay. This piece is signed on the bottom. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 10,500.00
This smaller bowl by Helen Naha, also known as “Feather Woman”, has her iconic Awatovi Star design. Helen created distinctive pottery using the white clay slip throughout her career. The designs were all painted using bee-weed (black) and natural clay slips. She learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law, Paqua Naha yet had her own style in form, imagery, and composition. Helen is known for her revival of the pre-historic Awatovi pottery. Awatovi is one of the ruins near Hopi where a white slipped style of pottery was made. It is a fascinating place as it was where Coronado made contact with the Hopi in 1540. During the excavations in the 1930’s the whiteware pottery was rediscovered. It was the imagery from his work which inspired much of Helen’s early pottery, as opposed the more classic Sikyatki inspired pottery of Nampeyo. This bowl has the “Awatovi Star” pattern painted on the top and the bottom. The bowl has a larger opening and the entire interior is also fully polished! Around the shoulder is an eternity band. The bowl was traditionally fired and there is some variation to the color with the fired cloud, which certainly adds to the beauty of the piece. The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom with her hallmark feather. It was originally purchased in 1978.
$ 1,000.00
This is a striking jar by Les Namingha a creative blend of Hopi-Tewa and graffiti style designs. The jar has a round shape and a short neck. The jar is painted blue and has two “3D” birds as the design. The birds are painted onto the surface and Les has painted around the edge of them to give them a “3D” appearance and some depth. The contrasting colorations of the birds against the blue “sky” is striking. On the bottom is a checkerboard “field” over which they are flying. Note as well the bodies of the birds are made up of various Hopi-Tewa designs. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 2,000.00
This large bowl is an exceptionally intricate piece by Sylvia Naha. She was a daughter of Helen “Featherwoman” Naha and a sister of Rainy and Burell Naha. She was known for her distinctive pieces painted with intricate designs on a white polished clay surface. Throughout the 1980’s, Sylvia was considered among the most innovative of the Hopi potters. Her pieces were classic in form and amazingly intricate in design. This bowl is a wide shape and half of the piece has a lizard and corn design. The other side is a series of pottery “shard” with designs from her various pottery designs. There are about 15 different designs including a bat wing, Awatovi star, lizard and turtle. What is really amazing, however, is the amount of fine-line painting! There are so many sections with small, fine lines and hatchwork patterns. Those are so time involved to paint, but very dramatic in appearance! The black on the painting is from Bee-Weed (a plant) and the red and other colors are natural clay slips. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. The jar is signed on the bottom with a feather and an “S”. It is certainly an extraordinary piece by his exceptional Hopi-Tewa potter!
$ 1,500.00
This carved jar is a classic vessel by San Ildefono potter Rose Gonzales. She is often considered the first at San Ildefonso Pueblo to make carved pottery. However, over the course of her career, she created a variety of styles including plainware, painted and carved pottery. This jar is carved on the sides with lightning and rain patterns. Rose was famous for her “cameo” style of carving with the use of negative space and rounded edges. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Rose”.
$ 600.00
Jennie Laate was among the most important revival potters at Zuni in the 1970’s. This is one of the largest pieces of her pottery we have ever seen! She usually made miniatures so something this large and complex is definitely unusual. It is also striking in appearance. The jar is large and round and just a slight neck. The sides are painted with deer in their “houses” and separating them are large rosettes. Around the neck are rainbird patterns, which are painted with fine lines. All of these are design elements which are seen on classic Zuni vessels of the late 1800’s. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 1,000.00
Rosalie and Joe Aguilar created some exceptional pottery throughout their time working together. In the 1930’s they began to make carved pottery. This jar has a carve rain and lightning pattern separated by a negative space mountain design. The jar is polished red and the background area is a matte red clay slip. The style of the carving is known as “cameo carving”, which was typical at San Ildefonso in the 1930’s. The jar is in is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Rosalie + Joe” on the bottom in the clay.
Click here to read more about the “Early San Ildefonso Innovators”
$ 600.00
Tonita Roybal remains one of the great innovative names in San Ildefonso pottery. This smaller jar has her classic sharp shoulder and sloping neck. The neck has a geometric rain and cloud pattern. Note the small design with the three rows of rain. This particular design is one which she often used on her pottery. Sometimes it was attached to the other designs, sometimes simply floating on the polished surface. The bowl is highly polished and fired to a great gunmetal coloration. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tonita”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 625.00
This is a creative jar by Les Namingha. It is a creative blend of Hopi-Tewa birds, Hopi and Zuni designs and mica. The concept for the jar is a series of Hopi birds painted against a geometric white and blue sky. The birds are various colors and they are made up of various Hopi-Tewa or Zuni designs (the dots). The larger geometric shapes are each painted with different colors. They represent the “windows” looking out at the birds. The background blue and white area of the jar is also slipped with mica into the clay. It creates both a texture (the feel of the mica) ad the bit of shine from the reflection of the mica. It is a simple but powerful jar. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,000.00
This is extraordinary seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 2000. The piece is one from the period when he began to create exceptionally detailed and realistic animals on his pottery surfaces. The seedpot is entitled, “Lone Wolf” and it has the full body of the wolf etched into the clay. Joseph said of this piece,
“Positioned in such a manner, somewhat a side view, yet frontal, against a dark background, brightened only by the magenta tones of the setting sun, it is easy to recognize the wolf’s heavy frame and long limbs. Since he stands in clumps of dry-colored grasses, we are unable to see his forefeet or his back feet. Meticulously designed, the wolf’s fur is moderately long, thick and varies in color shades of white, gray, brown and black. The open winged butterfly is symbolic of beauty. Sketched in a side view manner is a full body designed buck, a big game food source for the wolf. It is depicted in the Mimbres form. In front of the buck is a multi-color toned design depicting with several feathers the symbol of strength, and a badger print, symbolic of strength and good fortune.” Joseph Lonewolf
The detail on the head of the wolf is exceptional. It is not just the eyes, but fur and the various levels of carving into the clay. It’s hard to capture in the photos but even the tongue of the wolf is perfectly designed. On the back are two “yearly” medallions on this piece, which signify 2000 and are symbolic for his mother (Agapita, a daisy) and father (Camilio, a sunflower). The two symbols are reflective of their names in Tewa. An interesting note about his piece is that was included as the image on his business cards for the year. The piece includes one of these business cards along with the typed card with the information on the piece. It is one of the more complicated and ornate realistic animal seedpot we have had by Joseph. The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay and it is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Needless to say, again, it is not just extraordinary but a great piece of history!
$ 4,400.00
This is very creative effigy seedpot by Tammy Garcia from 2002. It is featured in the book, “Tammy Garcia: Form without Boundaries” on page 104. In the book it says of this piece:
“This is the perfect illustration of Garcia’s eager imagination that refuses to linger in staid notions of convention. In this interpretation, Garcia deftly merges the Pueblo form with the European folktale of the frog prince. She creates a witty and striking narrative of the classic fairytale by portraying her frog with eyes and prominently puckered lips.”
The piece is very deeply carved with stylized swirls and geometric water patterns, which Tammy has used throughout her career. It is the face of the frog which is matte and sculpted into the clay. The piece is signed on the bottom, “The Forgotten Prince, Tammy Garcia”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is always great to see such a creative piece of her work and one of the few which was published in her book!
$ 8,800.00
Elizabeth White created distinctive pottery using the various colors of Hopi clay. She originated the use of the ear of corn as a design in repousse (pushed out from the inside) on her pottery. Her pottery is all signed in the clay with her Hopi name Polingaysi, which means, “butterfly sitting among the flowers in the breeze”. This jar is one of her classic narrow jars with two ears of corn. The coloration of the clay is the traditional red clay (well, reddish-orange), which is used in Hopi pottery. The coloration is striking on this larger jar. The entire piece is stone polished to a high shine except for the two ears of corn which are unpolished matte. The narrow shape is very much like the jars that her nephew Al Qoyawayma makes which he calls “wish pots”. He tells the story that the name comes from Elizabeth as she said people would look at the pieces and say, “I wish I could have one”. This jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Interestingly, Polingaysi was a school teacher and taught at Hopi and Navajo schools for almost 40 years. On retirement from teaching, she became an artist, a poet, and a philosopher. Her career as a potter was begun late in life, after her retirement, so there is very little of her work available. This jar was originally purchased in 1981. It is a classic of her work and an important addition to any collection!
$ 1,800.00
This is a classic smaller red bowl by Tony Da. He had a short career which spanned from 1967-82. He helped change the world of Pueblo pottery. He was among the first to begin etching into the surface of the pottery (sgraffito), adding stones, hei-shi and then began creating all matte carved vessels. His pottery today is considered to be among the most sought after by collectors and museum alike. This bowl was originally purchased in 1971. It is fully polished a deep red and etched with the classic avanyu (water serpent). Tony would etch the designs into the clay before the piece was fired so that there was a sharpness to the designs. Note the precision of the horn and the clouds on this piece! The avanyu is symbolic of the village being saved from a flood by the water serpent. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “DA”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. This is certainly a classic style of Tony’s pottery and even an early piece like this bowl reflects the impact he had, and continues to have, on Pueblo pottery. The pottery of Tony Da remains an important addition to any collection!
$ 5,000.00
George Alexander is known for his creative paintings in acrylic on canvas. He is Muscogee artist from Oklahoma. This painting is a recent piece with one of his stylized birds as the central image. His style of painting is dynamic. He says of his work, “It’s important to juxtapose iconic native imagery with my own experience and use symbolism that speaks to my generation. I want to force the viewer to challenge their preconceived notions of ‘Indian’.” George graduated in 2016 from the Institute of American Indian Art and is currently studying painting in Florence, Italy. We are pleased to have his paintings at King Galleries.
$ 1,400.00
This is a striking jar by Nathan Youngblood. He is well known for his deeply carved pottery and use of both traditional Santa Clara and other designs. This jar has a round body and a short neck. The top and bottom areas are fully polished red and the lower section is matte. Nathan says of the design,
“The matte areas are the hills around Santa Clara. Above them the story begins with the three red carved areas. These are three cloud designs, like you would see forming off in the distance. As they grow, those three become two clouds, which are the next two designs. Finally, as the jar is turned, there is one large cloud with lighting and rain designs. The storm and the all important rain water have arrived. In one of the lower sections you can see that I etched into the clay two small deer tracks. Those represent me (my name in Tewa meaning Deer Path) watching the storm clouds billow on the horizon.”
The jar is very fully carved and each of the sections of design change, flow and interlock as the jar is turned. The red clay slip is deep and rich in coloration and the jar was traditionally fired. The last photo is one that I took of the jar in the fire! The polishing is spectacular on this jar with an amazing shine from the stone polished surface! While the shape, carving, and designing might seem like enough, Nathan also takes his pottery one step further. After it is fired, he uses small screwdrivers and scrapes the sides of the carved designs and the recessed areas, to create a visually striking contrast. It is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and deer tracks, which represent his name in Tewa. Simply stunning!
$ 6,800.00
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 wide bowl is very highly polished and it is fired a dark black. The bowl is signed in the clay, “Maria Poveka”. This is a combination of her Anglo and Tewa names. Her name, “Poveka” means “Water Lilly”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 2,200.00
This jar by Al Qoyawayma is made from mauve Hopi clay. It is from 1996 and the shape is what Al calls a “Harmony Jar”. It has a round body and an elongated neck with a turned out rim. The jar is vertically polished creating an “onion skin” appearance to the surface. The design on the jar is a single carved area which has a corn design carved into the clay. It is a simple, but elegant form and design. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 2,000.00
This is a distinctive plainware jar San Ildefono potter Rose Gonzales. She is often considered the first at San Ildefonso Pueblo to make carved pottery. However, over the course of her career, she created a variety of styles including plainware, painted and carved pottery. This jar is fully polished and fired black. There is a slight gunmetal coloration to the surface. The jar won a second place ribbon at the 1968 Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonials. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Rose”.
$ 975.00
This tall jar by Virgil Ortiz tells part of his story of the Pueblo Revolt. The designs are from his Revolt 1680/2180 series. There are two figures representing the Castilians or Conquistadors in the series of his work. One side has the Conquistador from 1680 and the other, the Castilian from 2180. Separating them are wildflower tendrils of design. Note on one side the additional triangular design as part of the imagery. Both figures are intricately painted using wild spinach plant for the black. There are turkey tracks which looks like an “x” near the Pueblo tendrils. The neck of the jar has a simple traditional cloud design. The jar shape itself is elegant with the high shoulder and short neck. The jar is made from native clay, native clay slips and wild spinach (the black). The piece is signed on the bottom. The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.
In the book, “Revolt”, I wrote about these as follows:
In 2007 Ortiz began to identify and give form to the various characters which would populate his story of the Pueblo Revolt. Tahu; the girl blinded by the Spanish Conquistadors, Mopez; the leader of the Runners, and the Castilians to represent the Spanish invaders. “I have created Native Superheroes in the form of clay, photography, video and film, which allows me the freedom to express my personal interpretation of the REVOLT – The First American Revolution. The Venutian Soldiers are futurist, herculean superheroes, over eight feet tall, who fight mainly at nighttime and possess extraordinary strength and magical powers”. Here the Venutian Soldiers reflect the destruction of pueblos by the Spanish during their original conquest. In their future version, it is the Castilians who have destroyed their ‘world’ and the Venutian Soldiers are the embodiment of this devastation. Their environment has been destroyed through nuclear weapons causing the Venutian Soldiers to use oxygen tanks and gas masks to survive. This story is a thoughtful embodiment of a world overrun and the natural order destroyed yet survivable by the sense of “Pueblo community”. The Venutians are lead by Tahu and Kootz to find a hospitable land and “rebuild their traditions and ways of life on ancestral sacred lands”.
$ 6,000.00
This is a simple but very elegant open bowl by Russell Sanchez. The shape of the bowl is a classic one for San Ildefonso for holding water. The interior of the bowl is fully polished and the rim is carved with 36 melon ribs to create a “water fall” rim. The symmetry of them give the bowl a unique appearance in terms of how the light reflects off the edge. There is almost a silvery-gunmetal appearance to the rim which seems heightened by the deep black interior. The exterior is a highly polished and slipped mica, which has a metallic appearance after the firing. While the bowl may seem simple in form, there is an inherent complexity to having it seem so strong with no design. It is certianly always the challenge to an artist like Russel to restrain themselves and let the clay, form, polish and firing speak for itself. That is the voice given to this bowl. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Russell”. Russell uses these historic elements to keep them alive on his contemporary pottery. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, ‘Russell”.
Click here to read: Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past
$ 2,900.00
Jason Wesaw is Potowatomi and from the Great Lakes area. Each piece is handmade and the simplicity of forms reflects the modernism with the context of his art. He says of his pottery,
“My work fits somewhere in between this deep connection to the land and the searching for spirit that resides within all things. This life-force reveals itself to me in bold colors, simple patterns, and straight forward forms. The vessel is important, in the sense that it acts as a body from which the spirit comes. But, my forms are decidedly simple and upright. The deer tail ornamentation of the lidded forms is the physical ‘emergence’ of this spirit. Each vessel, drawing, or textile is my re-interpretation of an old story, an observation of our connection to the natural world, or a confirmation of the deeply spiritual essence of all things in the physical realm of life.”
For his pottery, he uses glazes, underglazes and the top of the lid is a dyed deer tail. The shapes are simple but with thoughtfulness in the content of the design. This jar is entitled, “Spirit (Threads)”. Jason says of this piece:
“Spirit (Threads): like a singular, simple thread, woven together to form a stronger piece of yarn, and fashioned into a beautiful blanket of warmth to wrap around our communities, so is our spirituality. It connects us, unbroken, to everything before and after this moment we are living in now.”
Jason has won numerous awards for his pottery and paintings. He is a creative force in Native art and we are excited to have his work in the gallery.
$ 850.00
This tile by Jason Garcia is part of his Corn Maiden series which feature young Pueblo women in traditional dress for the Corn Dance and placing them in a modern context. This tile has a young Corn Maiden dancer standing in the center of Santa Clara Pueblo. Behind her are two of the kivas and their ladders, along with the hills behind the pueblo. Note the two water towers on the hill and the TV antennae. The antennae is a nod to “St. Claire”, the patron saint of Santa Clara Pueblo, but also televisions. In the top corner there is a traditional raincloud, which for Jason is a connection to the polychrome pottery of artists such as Lela and Van Gutierrez. On the back of the tile, it is titled, “Corn Maiden #30, along with hashtags #Muse and #KhaPoOwingeh (the Tewa name for Santa Clara Pueblo). The piece is made from native clay and painted with native clay slips. It is signed with his Tewa name, Okuu Pin, which means Turtle Mountain.
$ 1,100.00
Jason Wesaw is Potowatomi and from the Great Lakes area. He says of his pottery,
“My work fits somewhere in between this deep connection to the land and the searching for spirit that resides within all things. This life-force reveals itself to me in bold colors, simple patterns, and straight forward forms. The vessel is important, in the sense that it acts as a body from which the spirit comes. But, my forms are decidedly simple and upright. The deer tail ornamentation of the lidded forms is the physical ‘emergence’ of this spirit. Each vessel, drawing, or textile is my re-interpretation of an old story, an observation of our connection to the natural world, or a confirmation of the deeply spiritual essence of all things in the physical realm of life.”
Jason Wesaw is Potowatomi and from the Great Lakes area. Each piece is handmade and the simplicity of forms reflects the modernism with the context of his art. He says of his pottery,
“My work fits somewhere in between this deep connection to the land and the searching for spirit that resides within all things. This life-force reveals itself to me in bold colors, simple patterns, and straight forward forms. The vessel is important, in the sense that it acts as a body from which the spirit comes. But, my forms are decidedly simple and upright. The deer tail ornamentation of the lidded forms is the physical ‘emergence’ of this spirit. Each vessel, drawing, or textile is my re-interpretation of an old story, an observation of our connection to the natural world, or a confirmation of the deeply spiritual essence of all things in the physical realm of life.”
For his pottery, he uses glazes, underglazes and the top of the lid is a dyed deer tail. The shapes are simple but with thoughtfulness in the content of the design. This jar is entitled, “The Four Directions”. Jason says of this piece:
“Four Directions: we have no tradition of pottery left amongst our people. This can be said about many things, including the fact that of 50,000+ Potawatomi, we have less than 10 fluent speakers living. But…our traditional teachings assure us that nothing is really ever lost. Rather, elders and wisdom keepers set different aspects of our culture down along the path of life, just waiting for the right ones to come and pick them back up.”
Jason has won numerous awards for his pottery and paintings. He is a creative force in Native art and we are excited to have his work in the gallery.
$ 850.00
It’s great to have a new tile from Jason Garcia. Jason has won numerous awards for his works in clay along with his Pueblo Revolt serigraph series. This piece is made from native clay and painted with native clay slips. This piece is part of his “Tewa Tales of Suspense” series. Each piece is inspired by graphic novels and early comic book art and the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. This tile has the pueblo warrior standing on the edge of a cliff holding the head of one of the monks killed during the Revolt. In the background, the church is burning. This piece is a dramatic interpretation of true events, as when the Pueblo people revolted against the Spanish it was partially in response to a suppression of their native religion. In response to that and the harshness of many of the priests, they were killed during the Revolt. Note in the background there is a scene which Jason says was inspired by the famous painting by Hopi artist Fred Kaboti. I included an image of the Kaboti painting in the description. The painting and imagery on this piece are striking and intense. His piece is signed with his Tewa name, Okuu Pin, which means Turtle Mountain. This tile is hand built from native clay. All of the colors are derived from Native clay.
$ 1,800.00
Jason Wesaw is Potowatomi and from the Great Lakes area. Each piece is handmade and the simplicity of forms reflects the modernism with the context of his art. He says of his pottery,
“My work fits somewhere in between this deep connection to the land and the searching for spirit that resides within all things. This life-force reveals itself to me in bold colors, simple patterns, and straight forward forms. The vessel is important, in the sense that it acts as a body from which the spirit comes. But, my forms are decidedly simple and upright. The deer tail ornamentation of the lidded forms is the physical ‘emergence’ of this spirit. Each vessel, drawing, or textile is my re-interpretation of an old story, an observation of our connection to the natural world, or a confirmation of the deeply spiritual essence of all things in the physical realm of life.”
For his pottery, he uses glazes, underglazes and the top of the lid is a dyed deer tail. The shapes are simple but with thoughtfulness in the content of the design. This jar is entitled, “Leaving Tracks”. Jason says of this piece:
“Leaving Tracks: we have no tradition of pottery left amongst our people. This can be said about many things, including the fact that of 50,000+ Potawatomi, we have less than 10 fluent speakers living. But…our traditional teachings assure us that nothing is really ever lost. Rather, elders and wisdom keepers set different aspects of our culture down along the path of life, just waiting for the right ones to come and pick them back up.”
Jason has won numerous awards for his pottery and paintings. He is a creative force in Native art and we are excited to have his work in the gallery.
$ 850.00
Jason Wesaw is Potowatomi and from the Great Lakes area. Each piece is handmade and the simplicity of forms reflects the modernism with the context of his art. He says of his pottery,
“My work fits somewhere in between this deep connection to the land and the searching for spirit that resides within all things. This life-force reveals itself to me in bold colors, simple patterns, and straight forward forms. The vessel is important, in the sense that it acts as a body from which the spirit comes. But, my forms are decidedly simple and upright. The deer tail ornamentation of the lidded forms is the physical ‘emergence’ of this spirit. Each vessel, drawing, or textile is my re-interpretation of an old story, an observation of our connection to the natural world, or a confirmation of the deeply spiritual essence of all things in the physical realm of life.”
For his pottery, he uses glazes, underglazes and the top of the lid is a dyed deer tail. The shapes are simple but with thoughtfulness in the content of the design. This jar is entitled, “Healing Path”. Jason says of this piece:
“Healing Path: a seemingly simple, horizontal line of silver shows the power in finding a way to heal from our wounds, emerging from the darkness, to live in a strong, determined way. Just as our ancestors would have wanted.”
Jason has won numerous awards for his pottery and paintings. He is a creative force in Native art and we are excited to have his work in the gallery.
$ 850.00
This is a complex lidded jar by Russell Sanchez. The entire piece is fully polished and it has a wide shoulder and a short neck. The base of the jar has 12 gourd indentions which are fully polished. The shoulder of the jar is exceptional in etched design with three San Ildefonso birds. The bodies of the birds are etched into the clay and are inspired by the imagery of early San Ildefonso potters from the 1920’s. Note the use of checkerboard, hatchwork lines and classic sun patterns to create the bodies and bird feathers! It’s is almost like a “starter course” in the exploration of the use of this imagery by early artists such as Rosalie & Joe Aguilar, Susana Aguilar, Tonita Roybal and Juan Cruz. There are two sections which are mica clay with small dots and they are surrounded by hematite hei-shi beads. The use of hematite is a traditional stone in San Ildefonso culture. The lid is carved with an extended star pattern and on top is a single piece of turquoise. It is almost the “surprise” of the jar. The jar has a deep black to gunmetal metallic shine. This is one of those pieces that is not only visually impressive, but there is a tactile aspect. Where one might expect the mica to have texture, it is so highly burnished it is perfectly smooth! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, ‘Russell”.
Click here to read: Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past
$ 7,200.00
This dynamic jar by Les Namingha is inspired by Zuni pottery of the early 1900’s. Les often pulls from his Hopi-Tewa and Zuni ancestry for inspiration. The shape and overall imagery finds a source in classic Zuni pottery. The top of the jar is painted with rain cloud and lightning designs. The lightning pattern on the neck is delicate and striking in the alternating designs. The shoulder has a water design. Note the flow of the coloration on this jar, as the top is greens and blues while the lower areas are the red of the earth. It is then the lower half of the jar which has the very tightly painted fine-line designs of the rain and cloud patterns. Close to the base are the circular water designs. The shape and intricate designs create a visual testament to a modernist approach to Zuni pottery. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,800.00
This jar by Les Namingha a creative blend of Hopi-Tewa and modernist designs. The jar has a round shape with a short neck. It is fully painted with the green and blue stylized Hopi birds for summer. They are overlayed with the yellow and red birds of Autumn. The yellow birds have Les’s stylistic pointilism which he has often used on his pottery. The complexity and coloration on this jar are striking. The additions of the small dots, the very thin lines and the very subtle dark blue background all give the bird designs more depth and definition. This jar is part of his “Urban Polychrome” series, of which Les says:
“The concept of layering is inherent in our mortal journey. As time moves forward, our memories become layered. Some memories remain vibrant, others faint or hazy. Yet others, obscure or even hidden. Likewise, our experiences, words, works, emotions, prayers and songs build up in layers creating our existence. In turn, our societal interactions become exercises in layering. We see this in evidence with street art or graffiti writing where layers of thought and a desire to express a “proof of existence” create tapestries of color and marks. Blending, covering, harmonizing, dissonance, disappearing. This concept of layering is the idea behind Urban Polychrome and other works in the Urban Series.” Les Namingha
$ 4,000.00
This is a classic bowl by Maria Martinez from 1920-25. It was made and polished by Maria Martinez and painted by her husband, Julian. These early pieces are signed, “Marie”, although Julian was painting the designs. It was not until around 1925 that they began to sign both names to the pottery. This bowl has a slightly rounded shoulder and the design is painted in the area between the shoulder and the neck. The pattern is a cloud and lightning design. The bowl was highly fired to create a near gunmetal (metallic) appearance. The gunmetal color achieved on these early pieces was from the heat of the firing. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Marie”.
$ 1,800.00
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This bowl by Maria Martinez is very traditional piece of her early pottery. It was made and stone polished by Maria and then painted by her husband, Julian Martinez (1897-1943). The round shape of the bowl is one which Maria made throughout her career. The entire surface is fully polished, including the bottom. The design is a wave pattern with a series of lines encircling the piece. It is simple but works perfectly on this piece to emphasize the form. The bowl is fired a dark black coloration. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Marie + Julian” on the bottom. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,800.00
This jar by Maria Martinez is a classic of her early pottery. It was made and polished by Maria and then painted by her husband, Julian Martinez (1897-1943). The jar is one of her iconic forms with a sharp shoulder and a sloping neck. The design is painted on the shoulder of the jar. There is a feather pattern in two sections and a storm (lightning/rain) design on the other two. The jar is highly polished and fired a deep black in coloration. It is signed, “Marie + Julian” on the bottom. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 2,000.00
Mela Youngblood began making pottery in the late 1960’s and quickly achieved a distinctive style for her work. Each piece of her work very highly polished and when carved the edges are distinctly rounded. She was a daughter of noted potter Margaret Tafoya and the mother of Nancy Youngblood and Nathan Youngblood. This bowl is one of her few melon bowls. It is deeply carved with 22 ribs. Note as well that the entire surface is fully polished! There is an exceptional symmetry (as expected) to each of the ribs. They are smaller at the rim and base and wider around the shoulder, emphasizing the form of the bowl itself. The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Mela Youngblood”.
$ 2,200.00
This is an exceptional larger jar by Les Namingha. Les is a descendant of Nampeyo and learned to make pottery from his aunt Dextra Quotskuyva. This jar is one of his famous shapes, as it is inspired by a canteen, but reformed with a wider surface for more design. One side of the jar has a Sikyatki (Hopi pottery from the 1400’s) bird with extended wings. The colors are all reminiscent of Hopi with the black and red and intricate patterns in the body of the piece. The circles are like the reflections of light at sunrise. As the jar is turned there is the dramatic painted section. It is a complex compilation of Hopi designs which encompass most of the surface of the jar. The setting of the white clay and painted surface adds to the dramatic effect. There is something both modern and very ancient about this jar! It is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,800.00
Toni Roller is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery. A daughter of Margaret Tafoya, Toni has developed her own distinctive style and this wide shoulder bowl is one of her original forms. It is fully polished and has four bear paws incised into the surface. The bear paws are symbols of a Pueblo story where a bear lead the people to water during a drought. The bowl was made in 1989 and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,500.00
Barbara & Joseph Cerno are known for their large coil built vessels. The jar is coil built and it is a classic water jar shape with the wide shoulder and short neck. The jar is very intricately painted. There are two medallions, each with an Acoma style parrot. Surrounding the birds are black-on-white cloud and rain designs. Separating the two birds are mountain, cloud and floral designs. Note the detail of the fine-line painting within the designs! The bottom is slipped red and has an indented bottom, which again harkens back to the Acoma pottery of the late 1800’s. The jar is signed on the bottom “Barbara & Jospeh Cerno”. It is from 1998 and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is certainly a wonderful contemporary Acoma vessel with a dramatic use of revivalist designs and techniques.
$ 2,000.00
Rose Simpson is one of the exciting innovative potters working today. She is a daughter of noted potter Roxanne Swentzell. This piece brings together two strong aspects of her clay work. The geometric rectangular shapes create a stylized pueblo appearance. The small opening are much like doors and windows. The shapes are clay and are all one piece and textured. However, it is the clay work on her figure which is so dynamic. Rose has found a creative way to create her figurative work, with overlapping slabs of clay. The figures are realistic in form yet almost otherworldly or dream-like in their appearance. The various small slabs on the figure give an additional sense of movement as if the dancing figure is in motion. It is excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Rose continues to expand her style in various museum exhibitions around the US and create new and more dynamic works in clay. Look for her upcoming exhibition at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe.
$ 4,500.00
This seedpot by Camilio Tafoya is very intricately designed. It would seem that it most likely was made, polished and the designs were begun by Camilio and then the designs were finished by his son, Joseph Lonewolf. While it is signed by Camilio, it would suggest that the piece was already polished. However, there are indicators that it was finished by Joseph, as he finished several of the pieces which Camilio had in process before he passed. The deer are all very intricately etched and designed than on any of the piece finished by Camilio from 1990-5. There is is a large buck with antlers extending over the top of the seedpot. On the opposite side there is another deer with smaller antlers and two does. The deer are very intricately designed and they are much closer in style to those of Joseph. As well, there is the number on the bottom, which is precision-etched, and the last letters are JL, which are probably Joseph’s initials as the end of the numbering system. The numbering system used by Camilio was typically much shorter and a bit more stylistic in design. Overall, the piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,500.00
Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs. This bowl is very thin walled and has an indented bottom. It is fully polished red and etched with a single medallion. There is a Mimbres style grasshopper or cricket as the design. Not the depth and precision of the matte area behind the insect! There are rectangular green polished areas surrounding it, which represent the grass. The use of the green clay slip in 1973 was quite new and a extraordinary addition to native clay colorations at the time. The remainder of the bowl is fully polished red. The precision of the designs and the shine of the polished surface create a perfect balance. This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 1,800.00
Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs. This seedpot is from the 1990’s. It has the yearly symbol of a heart with a cross in it on the back. On the front is the classic Feathered Water Serpent which was used by Joseph Lonewolf and his family. Note the intricate detail in the head and the feathers. There is an additional butterfly etched into the back of the piece. The precision of the designs and the shine of the polished surface create a perfect balance. This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 1,250.00
Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs. This is a very small seedpot and yet it is very fully designed! The seedpot has two Mimbres style flute players as the design. They are surrounded by plant and rain designs. There is a butterfly on the opposite side. The heart medallion is the yearly symbol for 1986. There is an additional green clay slip used to highlight the designs. The precision of the designs and the shine of the polished surface create a perfect balance. This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,200.00
Barbara Gonzales is a great-great granddaughter of Maria Martinez. She is known for her innovative pottery which combines etched designs along with inset stones. This is one of her “Swish Pots”. She said that while they are basically a seedpot pot, she has put a small bead inside them. She says you can “swish” the bead around and make a wish”. The top of the seedpot is fully polished and etched with an intricate spiderweb. The center of the web has a star and an inset piece of turquoise. The web itself spirals out and has 8 inset pieces of pink coral. On the side, the bowl is slipped with mica and there is a single female spider with an inset piece of deep red coral. Barbara says she uses spiders as they are good luck symbols and the coral is a femals spider. The bottom of the piece is signed in the clay, “Than-Moo-Whe”, which is her name in Tewa. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 300.00
This engagement basket is by Rose Tafoya. It has the classic twisted handle and the sides are carved through with a mountain design. The entire surface is stone polished. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Rose Tafoya”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 150.00
Mary Ester Archuleta is a daughter of noted potter Margaret Tafoya. This water jar has a round body and a slightly turned out neck. It is fully polished red and carved around the body with a kiva step design. The carved areas are polished tan in contrast to the red of the remainder of the jar. The tan is the natural color of the clay and always difficult to achieve this coloration. There is also the traditional cream-colored slip painted into the carved areas. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Mary E. Archuleta. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Mary is the second youngest daughter of Margaret Tafoya. She married into San Juan Pueblo in the late 1960’s and created most of her pieces in the San Juan inspired style. While she no longer makes much pottery, her work is creative and distinctive in style and coloration.
$ 1,800.00
Glendora Fragua is known for her polished and intricately incised pottery. This water jar is larger in size for her work and it is polished with a red clay. The entire surface is fully etched with four large dragonflies, flowers and additional designs. The various designs are then highlighted with additional clay slips. On the inside of the neck has also painted a flower pattern! It is an intricate and complex jar with a striking combination fo designs, both painted and incised. The jar is signed on the bottom with a corn stalk, Glendora’s hallmark.
$ 1,200.00
This is one of the largest pieces we have had by Angela Baca. She was famous throughout her career for her melon ribbed pottery. The form is derived from the melon and squash grown in the area and so there is always an organic style to the shape. This piece is round and has 32 ribs carved into the clay. The entire surface of the bowl is fully polished, including the space between each of the ribs!. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Angela Baca” and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,375.00
This small jar by Samuel Manymules has a short neck and rounded melon ribs. The ribs are pushed out in the clay and there is a deep groove separating each rib. The symmetry of each rib adds to the overall appearance of the jar. The jar is traditionally fired and the coloration is striking! The variation from black to red to brown give the piece a sense of motion on the surface. The browner areas are where it was fired to a higher temperature. After the firing, the jar is then covered with pine pitch in the traditional way expected of Navajo pottery. It is extraordinary vessels like this which keep Samuel among the top Navajo potters working today.
$ 900.00
This shape of bowl is a new variation for Frederica Antonio. She is renown for her intricately painted pottery. Each piece is coil built and then finely painted. Her designs are a series of fine vertical and horizontal lines which are then filled in to create larger images in the squares. This bowl has a lip which is turned downward. The appearance is visually striking as she also paints the design to flow into the rim of the bowl! The piece is painted with a series of alternating cloud and wind designs. The detail and precision of the design, along with the shape, give the bowl a very modern appearance. The base of the jar is concave, reminiscent of historic Acoma jars which were carried on the head. This combination of thin walls, classic shape, and tightly painted design create a piece which is visually stunning! The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 2,400.00
This parrot is a figurative piece in clay by Anderson Peynetsa. The parrot is coil built and the tail feather and head feathers extend outward. The mouth of the jar becomes the beak of the parrot. Around the body of the piece are five heartline deer painted onto the surface. The areas above and below the deer are a mottled clay of black, red and white. The piece is charming in person and the addition of the deer give it a very classic Zuni appearance. The parrot is signed on the bottom.
$ 1,200.00
This is a small seedpot by Rosemary Lonewolf. She learned to make pottery from her father, Joseph Lonewolf. The piece was fully polished red and the designs were etched into the clay. On the top is a butterfly and the sides have a swirling feather and flower design. There are green, blue and white additional clay slips added for color. All the various colors are different clay slips. which are added after the firing. The seedpot is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Appleblossom”. While Rosemary no longer makes many traditional style pieces of pottery, her miniatures remain a classic!
$ 200.00
This is an unusual open bowl/plate by Grace Medicine Flower is from 1974. It is fully polished on the front and back. The center is designed with a basket weave pattern. There are horizontal rows and then each row is vertically etched to create the “stitching” of the basket. There are deeper etched areas in the center to create an additional design. It is historically interesting as in the 1990’s she began making pieces with the “basket weave” pattern on her polychrome pottery. It is fascinating to see that she was intrigued by this design and style for over 30 years! The bowl has a medicine flower etched on the side and it is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”. It is in excellent condition with no chips,cracks restoration or repair.
$ 850.00
This is a classically shaped jar by Dorothy Torivio. She was among the first to utilize and then refine the “op-art” style in her Acoma pottery. She took traditional Acoma patterns and then repeated them on a vessel, ranging the size from small to large and then small again, in accordance with the shape of the vessel. The shape of the jar has a wide, sharp shoulder and a very tiny neck. The design is a yucca leaf which extends from the neck to the shoulder and then to the base. The open space of the white and the contrasting black give the jar a very modern appearance. The jar is signed on the bottom, “Dorothy Torivio” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 975.00
This is a traditional bowl by Lorriane Williams. It is flat and wide in shape. The bowl size step cloud patterns which are incised into the clay. They are highlighted with red and black slips. They create an overall star pattern. The bowl has been traditionally fired. After the piece is fired it is covered in pine pitch, which is typical of all traditional Navajo pottery harkening back to when it was utilitarian. Lorraine has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “A Legacy of Generations”.
$ 50.00
This is a traditional jar by Lorriane Williams. It is a round bowl and there are three bands of rug style star patterns. They are incised into the clay. The top and bottom bands are red awhile the center is black. The bowl has been traditionally fired. After the piece is fired it is covered in pine pitch, which is typical of all traditional Navajo pottery harkening back to when it was utilitarian. Lorraine has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “A Legacy of Generations”.
$ 90.00
Christopher Youngblood creates intricately carved vessels which reflect a perfect balance of matte and polished surfaces with intricately carved designs. This lidded jar focuses on his carved and rounded melon swirls. There are eight sections, each swirl in an “s” shape extending vertically on the jar. Around the top and the base are 16 circles. Note the precision of the carving to make the perfectly round and the scalloped matte edge on the rim and the base! The jar is highly polished and it is a striking balance of polished and matte surface. The piece is from 2011 and it was originally sold by us and it has come back to the gallery again. It is great to see how his creativity and technical strength has been evident for such a long period! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Chris is a perfectionist with the matte areas of his pottery, as they perfectly balance the highly polished designs. Chris says that he focuses on each piece, taking the time to work on the shaped and stone polish the surface to a high shine, often polishing a piece several times to get it right. He has won numerous awards for his pottery, including the 2104 “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market.
$ 3,500.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series entitled, “Peering through Taos Light”. The design for the jar comes from a painting by E. Hennings entitled, “Blue Lake” (which can be seen in the last image). This creative jar is square in shape and rag polished. The design is a series of riders on horseback under the fall leaves. It almost seems as if they are such a distant memory that they are fading into the jar itself. In the same manner, the rim of the jar has been wet and texturized to feel like an older piece of pottery. Susan does this by wetting down the rim of the jar before it is fired. Again, as if it was used and like the memory of the riders, forgotten. What is hard to see in the photos is that the blue int he areas below the riders are all spaces in the clay, which Susan created by adding paper to the clay which, when fired, left these small inclusions. They create an extraordinary texture. This seems to be simple but is exceptional in form, texture and design. The jar is signed on the bottom.
“My newest pieces serve as commentaries and reflections on the classic Taos Society of Artists Work. I specifically want to focus on their portrayal of Native Women”. Susan Folwell
Native Art Magazine, April 2018
$ 2,300.00
This is one of the largest bears we have had from Russell Sanchez. He continues to use traditional techniques and materials to create his stunning works in clay. This bear is highly polished and fired to a striking gunmetal coloration. The bear has a wide body and a sculptural form. From the mouth of the bear is a heartline, which is a traditional image used to symbolize the heart as the center of power in the animal. In addition, the bear is a symbol of strength. On this piece, the heartline extends backward and rises up on the back and turns into an old style avanyu (water serpent). The style of the avanyu and the fine-line etching are inspired by the painted designs of Tonita Roybal in the 1920s. The back half of the bear continues the heartline and has two additional avanyu. Across the back of the bear are eight bands of square hematite hei-shi beads. So, why hematite? Russell has begun to use it on his recent pieces for several reasons. There is a traditional aspect in that women wear hematite bracelets when they do certain traditional dances at the Pueblo. There is also hematite content in the clay slips use on the pottery. Russell also notes that when he is able to fire his pieces to a gunmetal appearance, the hematite captures the shine and also gives them a contemporary appearance. As Russell has said
“I’m a traditionalist all the way through. Innovation is part of our tradition. You use the same materials and tools that you have, and the same design elements, and the Clay Mother will come through you for what she wants you to do,” he explains. “Instead of doing the same cloud pattern or serpent pattern, you take that and make it your own. So, in fact, everything I’m doing is old, but new.” Russell Sanchez, Southwest Art Magazine
This bear is a stunning example of how the history and culture of San Ildefonso Pueblo is modernized in concept in his hands. The bear is signed on the bottom in the clay. Simply stunning!
$ 9,000.00
This is a larger canteen by Virgil Ortiz. The piece is coil built and painted with native clay slips and wild spinach (a plant) for the black. The design on the front of the canteen is Tahu, the Blind Archer in her 1680 version. The story for this imagery from the Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180 series. Regarding Tahu, the Blind Archer, Virgil gave her the iconic line, “Don’t be blinded by your Fear”. The last photo is one by Virgil of Tahu standing in the forest and you can see where he has taken this imagery to create the design on the canteen. I wrote in Virgil Ortiz: Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180:
“In 2007 Ortiz began to identify and give form to characters who would populate his fictionalized version of the Pueblo Revolt: Tahu, a girl blinded by the Spanish conquistadors; Mopez, the leader of the Pueblo Runners; and the Castilians to represent the Spanish invaders. The characters who make up the Pueblo Revolt series are inspired by names and words in Keres (the indigenous language of Cochiti Pueblo) and other Puebloan languages. “Tahu” is a word used as a sign of respect for older Pueblo women. “Mopez” means “cardinal” and was the Keres name of Ortiz’s brother. “I wanted to use native language words and names to identify the characters. Part of the Revolt story had to be the actual events, but I also wanted it to tie into our language. If I could get the kids interested in history I might also be able to get them interested in our language and keep it alive.”
There are also two hummingbirds which are symbolic for Virgil’s mother, Seferina Ortiz, who taught him to make pottery. Can you see the “spirit line” in the design? It is at the rim of the canteen. The spirit line is a break in the painting and used on traditional Cochiti pottery. Virgil has also incorporated his signature “x”, which is the turkey track into the designs. The back of the canteen has a wildflower design which encircles the piece and flows onto the front. 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.
$ 3,200.00
Aaron Honyumptewa is both Hopi and Picuris. He is known for his very intricately carved katinsa dolls. In the last year he moved back to Picuris Pueblo in New Mexico, the home of his mother and family and has begun to learn to make pottery from his mother. The pottery is the traditional style of Picuris Pueblo and Aaron says he is hoping to help revive the art form. This jar has a high, round shoulder and a short neck. The opening is oval in shape and gives the jar a very modern appearance. The clay itself is a beautiful coloration with the classic gold clay color. It was traditionally fired to create the blushes on the surface. If Aaron works with the clay with the same creativity in which he carved katsinas, he has a bright future!
$ 175.00
Kimberly Riley Honyumptewa is from Laguna Pueblo and married to Aaron Honyumptewa who is Hopi/Picuris. She learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law Caroline Simbolo Cine in the traditional Picuris style and using native clay from the area. Each piece is coil built and traditionally fired. This wedding vase is a creative shape with the twisted handle and the organic flow of the spouts. The vase has a darker coloration from the fire clouds but the mica shows through beautifully! The vase is signed on the bottom. Kimberly’s work continues to evolve in creating more dynamic Picuris pottery!
$ 150.00
Kimberly Riley Honyumptewa is from Laguna Pueblo and married to Aaron Honyumptewa who is Hopi/Picuris. She learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law Caroline Simbolo Cine in the traditional Picuris style and using native clay from the area. Each piece is coil built and traditionally fired. This water jar has a beautiful coloration from the Picuris micaceous clay. It is a water jar and the rim is fluted and just below the shoulder it is carved with a cloud pattern! The base of the jar has a black coloration from the firing while the upper half is the gold clay color. The jar is signed on the bottom. Kimberly’s work continues to evolve in creating more dynamic Picuris pottery!
$ 275.00
Aaron Honyumptewa is both Hopi and Picuris. He is known for his very intricately carved katinsa dolls. In the last year he moved back to Picuris Pueblo in New Mexico, the home of his mother and family and has begun to learn to make pottery from his mother. The pottery is traditional style of Picuris pueblo and Aaron says he is hoping to help revive the art form! This larger bowl is made from Picuris micaceous clay. It has the “cloud” terraced rim and the “hobnail” additions to the side. These are often seen on historic Picuris pottery and it’s nice to see their revival. The clay itself is a beautiful coloration with the classic gold clay color. It was traditionally fired to create the blushes on the surface. If Aaron works with the clay with the same creativity in which he carved katsinas, he has a bright future!
$ 275.00
This jar by Eric Lewis has a round shoulder water jar shape and a short neck. The jar has a hummingbird as the central design. As the jar is turned there are linear bird wing and cloud patterns. Eric uses his designs to follow the shape of the jar and accentuate its form. The round shoulder and the placement of the head of the hummignbird on the neck is just perfect! Eric has taken classic Acoma linear designs and made them both bolder and more graphic. The result is a striking jar with tightly painted imagery. Eric remains one of the young Pueblo potters to watch!
$ 300.00
This is the first time Eric Lewis has painted such an intricate parrot on his pottery. The parrot has intricate lines and note as the jar is turned the additional classic style parrot and bird styles on the jar. The shape of this jar has a very round shape and slight neck. It’s a very strong form! Eric uses his designs to follow the shape of the jar and accentuate its form. Eric has taken classic Acoma linear designs and made them both bolder and more graphic. The result is a striking jar with tightly painted imagery. Eric remains one of the young Pueblo potters to watch!
$ 375.00
This is striking plainware bowl by Maria Martinez. 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 round bowl is fully polished and fired to a near gunmetal appearance. The gunmetal shine was achieved by the heat of the firing. The bowl is signed in the clay, “Maria Poveka”. This is a combination of her Anglo and Tewa names. Her name, “Poveka” means “Water Lilly”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,900.00
This jar by Maria Martinez is one of her classic pieces. It was made and polished by Maria Martinez and painted by her daughter-in-law Santana. It has a very highly polished surface. The design around the shoulder is a rain and plant pattern. It is tightly painted while allowing the polished surface of the bowl to remain exposed. The firing has given the bowl a nearly gunmetal appearance. The rounded shoulder and sloping neck are an excellent example of Maria’s pottery from this time. The jar is signed on the bottom, “Marie + Santana”. It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Definitely a classic!
$ 1,800.00
This is a short neck jar by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the jar while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da (1923-1971). The jar is highly polished and has the classic water serpent (avanyu) painted around the shoulder. This particular shape, with the round body and the short neck, is one which is easily one of Maria’s most famous forms. The firing is nearly gunmetal in coloration with a very high shine. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Maria Popovi 1069“. The signature indicates that it was made around in October 1969. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 4,400.00
This bowl by Effie Garcia has her classic shape with a narrow base and wide shoulder. Around the sides are six flowers carved deeply into the clay. Each of the flowers is outlined in clay, giving it a matte appearance. The bowl is highly polished and signed on the bottom.
$ 575.00
Madeline Naranjo (b. 1916) was known for her deep carved pottery. This jar has a round body and an elongated neck. The body of the jar is fully carved with a water serpent. Around the neck is a cloud pattern. The jar is very deeply carved with a lot of variation to the design around the piece. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Madeline Naranjo” on the bottom in the clay. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. While Madeline no longer makes pottery, her work is certainly a classic and her legacy continues in the pottery of her granddaughter, Madeline E. Naranjo.
$ 475.00
Jennifer Tafoya Moquino is known for her clay vessels and exceptional realistic animals. This jar is coil built and fully polished. It is a wonderful shape which is square on the sides and flat on the top. Technically that is always difficult to achieve with native clay. Jennifer often looks to designs beyond the Southwest for her imagery. This jar has four leafy sea dragons as the design. They are intricately etched and flow around the surface of the jar. All the colors are all from natural clay slips. Jennifer continues to be one of the leading innovative potters working today!
$ 1,500.00
Sofia Medina and her daughter Lois Medina were known for a traditional style of Zia pottery. Each piece was coil built, painted with native clays and native fired. This is jar is striking in design and a very classic Zia shape with the high shoulder and slight neck. The jar has two large sections with birds and very complex double rainbow band. Separating each of the rainbow bands are small cloud designs. The bird is surrounded by complex rain and flower designs. The opposite sides have large birds with a single rainbow band and flower patterns. Note how the rainbow bands are stone polished areas! There are equally complex variations of fine-line and hatchtwork patterns. Did you know that Zia potters use volcanic basalt as their temper for the clay, which gives these pieces their stability but also weight. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the side, “Sofia & Lois Medina”.
$ 2,800.00
Elizabeth White created distinctive pottery using the various colors of Hopi clay. She originated the use of the ear of corn as a design in repousse (pushed out from the inside) on her pottery. Her pottery is all signed in the clay with her Hopi name Polingaysi, which means, “butterfly sitting among the flowers in the breeze”. This jar is one of her classic pieces with two ears of corn. The coloration of the clay is the distinctive and much sought after “mauve”. The entire piece is stone polished to a high shine except for the two ears of corn which are unpolished matte. The narrow shape is very much like the jars that her nephew Al Qoyawayma makes which he calls “wish pots”. He tells the story that the name comes from Elizabeth as she said people would look at the pieces and say, “I wish I could have one”. This jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Interestingly, Polingaysi was a school teacher and taught at Hopi and Navajo schools for almost 40 years. On retirement from teaching, she became an artist, a poet, and a philosopher. Her career as a potter was begun late in life, after her retirement, so there is very little of her work available. It is a classic of her work and an important addition to any collection!
$ 1,200.00
Elizabeth White created distinctive pottery using the various colors of Hopi clay. She originated the use of the ear of corn as a design in repousse (pushed out from the inside) on her pottery. Her pottery is all signed in the clay with her Hopi name Polingaysi, which means, “butterfly sitting among the flowers in the breeze”. This jar is one of her classic narrow jars with two ears of corn. The coloration of the clay is the traditional red clay (well, reddish-orange), which is used in Hopi pottery. The coloration is striking on this larger jar. The entire piece is stone polished in a vertical manner and the figures are matte. There are two figures, which are taken from an Awatovi mural design. They are part of the winter “Bean Ceremony” when they grow bean sprouts in the kivas. The figures are pushed out from the inside of the jar, not applique on top of the surface. The jar is in good condition and a few rough area in the matte. Interestingly, Polingaysi was a school teacher and taught at Hopi and Navajo schools for almost 40 years. On retirement from teaching, she became an artist, a poet, and a philosopher. Her career as a potter was begun late in life, after her retirement, so there is very little of her work available. This is certainly one of the largest pieces we have had of her work in the gallery. The last photo is one of Elizabeth White working on this piece! Definitely check out the work of her nephew, Al Qoyawayma for comparison and the evolution of this style!
$ 5,500.00
Mary Cain was a daughter of Christina Naranjo and a granddaughter of SaraFina Tafoya. She was known for her classic style Santa Clara pottery. This bowl is carved with a cloud, lightning and wind pattern which encircles the piece. There is always a fluidity to her designs as they ebb and flow around the piece. The bowl is fired a dark black. It is signed on the bottom, “Mary Cain”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 300.00
Billy Cain was a son of noted potter Mary Cain. He created traditional Santa Clara carved and polished pottery, but often with his own flare of shape or design. This distinctive bowl is one of his smaller pieces from 1989. It has two bear paws on one section. The neck has a deeply carved band which encircles the bowl. The entire piece is polished, including the base. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Billy Cain”.
$ 225.00
This is a classic polychrome bowl by Blue Corn. Blue Corn began by making black-on-black pottery but it is her polychrome potter for which she is the most famous. This bowl is fully polished tan and painted with black and ochre-colored clays. The design around the rim is a rain and cloud design. ARound the body of the piece are squares which represent corn while they are separated by star designs. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Blue Corn”.
$ 1,500.00
This is an exceptional and unique larger bowl by Joseph Lonewolf form 1971. It is very highly polished and has the classic water serpent (avanyu) etched into the clay. Note that it is the gray area which is etched and the polished area makes up the avanyu! It still has a great polish so the design is difficult to see in the photos. However, note that Joseph always used the feathered water serpent, which is different in style from the others used at Santa Clara Pueblo. This bowl is also historically important relevant to the signature on the bottom, as it is actually before he began to number his pieces! It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Jospeh Lonewolf”.
$ 3,000.00
This piece by Anita Fields is an amazing combination of clay, cloth and articulation. The clay “doll” has separate arms and legs which have been joined together inside the body. They are articulated so that they actually move! The body of the figure and the chair are two separate pieces. Anita has added the cloth dress onto the figure. She says of the dress and clothing,
“Anita was influenced by traditional Osage ribbon work, clothing, and blankets. She also studied the objects and ceremonial dress of other tribes. The personal and emotional elements in these textile designs led Anita to use them symbolically in clay, translating the personality of these vestments into her work. About one of her recent series, Native American Dresses, which are coil-and slab-built installations, Anita says: “The dresses convey my attitudes toward the strength of women and how native peoples show remarkable resourcefulness and adaptability toward their environment. The clothing Indian women created shows great pride, dignity, and hope in a culture facing insurmountable odds.”
It is an exceptional piece combining culture and clay together. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,600.00
The figurative work of Virgil Ortiz is based on the historic Monos figures from Cochiti Pueblo which began in the 1880’s. The figures were created as social commentary in a world where various cultures were quickly filtering in and assimilating into New Mexico with the arrival of the railroads. This is one of the taller traditional-style figures we have had from Virgil. Amazingly, the entire piece is coil built so that it is hollow. The designs are painted on the clay surface using wild spinach (a local plant). This figure is one of his “opera singers” who Virgil called, “Madame Butterfly”, with her butterfly wings. He created a series of “opera singers” in the late 1990’s and they remain one of the most sought-after of his earlier works. Note the incredible detail in the dress with the tiny tendril of designs. There are extensions of the wings on the side. The face is dramatic and expressive! There is something wonderfully powerful about the pieces in terms of design and scale! The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery, continuing to push the boundaries of contemporary Native clay. This piece is signed on the bottom. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 10,500.00
This smaller bowl by Helen Naha, also known as “Feather Woman”, has her iconic Awatovi Star design. Helen created distinctive pottery using the white clay slip throughout her career. The designs were all painted using bee-weed (black) and natural clay slips. She learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law, Paqua Naha yet had her own style in form, imagery, and composition. Helen is known for her revival of the pre-historic Awatovi pottery. Awatovi is one of the ruins near Hopi where a white slipped style of pottery was made. It is a fascinating place as it was where Coronado made contact with the Hopi in 1540. During the excavations in the 1930’s the whiteware pottery was rediscovered. It was the imagery from his work which inspired much of Helen’s early pottery, as opposed the more classic Sikyatki inspired pottery of Nampeyo. This bowl has the “Awatovi Star” pattern painted on the top and the bottom. The bowl has a larger opening and the entire interior is also fully polished! Around the shoulder is an eternity band. The bowl was traditionally fired and there is some variation to the color with the fired cloud, which certainly adds to the beauty of the piece. The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom with her hallmark feather. It was originally purchased in 1978.
$ 1,000.00
This is a striking jar by Les Namingha a creative blend of Hopi-Tewa and graffiti style designs. The jar has a round shape and a short neck. The jar is painted blue and has two “3D” birds as the design. The birds are painted onto the surface and Les has painted around the edge of them to give them a “3D” appearance and some depth. The contrasting colorations of the birds against the blue “sky” is striking. On the bottom is a checkerboard “field” over which they are flying. Note as well the bodies of the birds are made up of various Hopi-Tewa designs. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 2,000.00
This large bowl is an exceptionally intricate piece by Sylvia Naha. She was a daughter of Helen “Featherwoman” Naha and a sister of Rainy and Burell Naha. She was known for her distinctive pieces painted with intricate designs on a white polished clay surface. Throughout the 1980’s, Sylvia was considered among the most innovative of the Hopi potters. Her pieces were classic in form and amazingly intricate in design. This bowl is a wide shape and half of the piece has a lizard and corn design. The other side is a series of pottery “shard” with designs from her various pottery designs. There are about 15 different designs including a bat wing, Awatovi star, lizard and turtle. What is really amazing, however, is the amount of fine-line painting! There are so many sections with small, fine lines and hatchwork patterns. Those are so time involved to paint, but very dramatic in appearance! The black on the painting is from Bee-Weed (a plant) and the red and other colors are natural clay slips. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. The jar is signed on the bottom with a feather and an “S”. It is certainly an extraordinary piece by his exceptional Hopi-Tewa potter!
$ 1,500.00
This carved jar is a classic vessel by San Ildefono potter Rose Gonzales. She is often considered the first at San Ildefonso Pueblo to make carved pottery. However, over the course of her career, she created a variety of styles including plainware, painted and carved pottery. This jar is carved on the sides with lightning and rain patterns. Rose was famous for her “cameo” style of carving with the use of negative space and rounded edges. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Rose”.
$ 600.00
Jennie Laate was among the most important revival potters at Zuni in the 1970’s. This is one of the largest pieces of her pottery we have ever seen! She usually made miniatures so something this large and complex is definitely unusual. It is also striking in appearance. The jar is large and round and just a slight neck. The sides are painted with deer in their “houses” and separating them are large rosettes. Around the neck are rainbird patterns, which are painted with fine lines. All of these are design elements which are seen on classic Zuni vessels of the late 1800’s. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom.
$ 1,000.00
Rosalie and Joe Aguilar created some exceptional pottery throughout their time working together. In the 1930’s they began to make carved pottery. This jar has a carve rain and lightning pattern separated by a negative space mountain design. The jar is polished red and the background area is a matte red clay slip. The style of the carving is known as “cameo carving”, which was typical at San Ildefonso in the 1930’s. The jar is in is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed, “Rosalie + Joe” on the bottom in the clay.
Click here to read more about the “Early San Ildefonso Innovators”
$ 600.00
Tonita Roybal remains one of the great innovative names in San Ildefonso pottery. This smaller jar has her classic sharp shoulder and sloping neck. The neck has a geometric rain and cloud pattern. Note the small design with the three rows of rain. This particular design is one which she often used on her pottery. Sometimes it was attached to the other designs, sometimes simply floating on the polished surface. The bowl is highly polished and fired to a great gunmetal coloration. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tonita”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 625.00
This is a creative jar by Les Namingha. It is a creative blend of Hopi-Tewa birds, Hopi and Zuni designs and mica. The concept for the jar is a series of Hopi birds painted against a geometric white and blue sky. The birds are various colors and they are made up of various Hopi-Tewa or Zuni designs (the dots). The larger geometric shapes are each painted with different colors. They represent the “windows” looking out at the birds. The background blue and white area of the jar is also slipped with mica into the clay. It creates both a texture (the feel of the mica) ad the bit of shine from the reflection of the mica. It is a simple but powerful jar. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,000.00
This is extraordinary seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 2000. The piece is one from the period when he began to create exceptionally detailed and realistic animals on his pottery surfaces. The seedpot is entitled, “Lone Wolf” and it has the full body of the wolf etched into the clay. Joseph said of this piece,
“Positioned in such a manner, somewhat a side view, yet frontal, against a dark background, brightened only by the magenta tones of the setting sun, it is easy to recognize the wolf’s heavy frame and long limbs. Since he stands in clumps of dry-colored grasses, we are unable to see his forefeet or his back feet. Meticulously designed, the wolf’s fur is moderately long, thick and varies in color shades of white, gray, brown and black. The open winged butterfly is symbolic of beauty. Sketched in a side view manner is a full body designed buck, a big game food source for the wolf. It is depicted in the Mimbres form. In front of the buck is a multi-color toned design depicting with several feathers the symbol of strength, and a badger print, symbolic of strength and good fortune.” Joseph Lonewolf
The detail on the head of the wolf is exceptional. It is not just the eyes, but fur and the various levels of carving into the clay. It’s hard to capture in the photos but even the tongue of the wolf is perfectly designed. On the back are two “yearly” medallions on this piece, which signify 2000 and are symbolic for his mother (Agapita, a daisy) and father (Camilio, a sunflower). The two symbols are reflective of their names in Tewa. An interesting note about his piece is that was included as the image on his business cards for the year. The piece includes one of these business cards along with the typed card with the information on the piece. It is one of the more complicated and ornate realistic animal seedpot we have had by Joseph. The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay and it is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Needless to say, again, it is not just extraordinary but a great piece of history!
$ 4,400.00
This is very creative effigy seedpot by Tammy Garcia from 2002. It is featured in the book, “Tammy Garcia: Form without Boundaries” on page 104. In the book it says of this piece:
“This is the perfect illustration of Garcia’s eager imagination that refuses to linger in staid notions of convention. In this interpretation, Garcia deftly merges the Pueblo form with the European folktale of the frog prince. She creates a witty and striking narrative of the classic fairytale by portraying her frog with eyes and prominently puckered lips.”
The piece is very deeply carved with stylized swirls and geometric water patterns, which Tammy has used throughout her career. It is the face of the frog which is matte and sculpted into the clay. The piece is signed on the bottom, “The Forgotten Prince, Tammy Garcia”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is always great to see such a creative piece of her work and one of the few which was published in her book!
$ 8,800.00
Elizabeth White created distinctive pottery using the various colors of Hopi clay. She originated the use of the ear of corn as a design in repousse (pushed out from the inside) on her pottery. Her pottery is all signed in the clay with her Hopi name Polingaysi, which means, “butterfly sitting among the flowers in the breeze”. This jar is one of her classic narrow jars with two ears of corn. The coloration of the clay is the traditional red clay (well, reddish-orange), which is used in Hopi pottery. The coloration is striking on this larger jar. The entire piece is stone polished to a high shine except for the two ears of corn which are unpolished matte. The narrow shape is very much like the jars that her nephew Al Qoyawayma makes which he calls “wish pots”. He tells the story that the name comes from Elizabeth as she said people would look at the pieces and say, “I wish I could have one”. This jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Interestingly, Polingaysi was a school teacher and taught at Hopi and Navajo schools for almost 40 years. On retirement from teaching, she became an artist, a poet, and a philosopher. Her career as a potter was begun late in life, after her retirement, so there is very little of her work available. This jar was originally purchased in 1981. It is a classic of her work and an important addition to any collection!
$ 1,800.00
This is a classic smaller red bowl by Tony Da. He had a short career which spanned from 1967-82. He helped change the world of Pueblo pottery. He was among the first to begin etching into the surface of the pottery (sgraffito), adding stones, hei-shi and then began creating all matte carved vessels. His pottery today is considered to be among the most sought after by collectors and museum alike. This bowl was originally purchased in 1971. It is fully polished a deep red and etched with the classic avanyu (water serpent). Tony would etch the designs into the clay before the piece was fired so that there was a sharpness to the designs. Note the precision of the horn and the clouds on this piece! The avanyu is symbolic of the village being saved from a flood by the water serpent. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “DA”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. This is certainly a classic style of Tony’s pottery and even an early piece like this bowl reflects the impact he had, and continues to have, on Pueblo pottery. The pottery of Tony Da remains an important addition to any collection!
$ 5,000.00
George Alexander is known for his creative paintings in acrylic on canvas. He is Muscogee artist from Oklahoma. This painting is a recent piece with one of his stylized birds as the central image. His style of painting is dynamic. He says of his work, “It’s important to juxtapose iconic native imagery with my own experience and use symbolism that speaks to my generation. I want to force the viewer to challenge their preconceived notions of ‘Indian’.” George graduated in 2016 from the Institute of American Indian Art and is currently studying painting in Florence, Italy. We are pleased to have his paintings at King Galleries.
$ 1,400.00
This is a striking jar by Nathan Youngblood. He is well known for his deeply carved pottery and use of both traditional Santa Clara and other designs. This jar has a round body and a short neck. The top and bottom areas are fully polished red and the lower section is matte. Nathan says of the design,
“The matte areas are the hills around Santa Clara. Above them the story begins with the three red carved areas. These are three cloud designs, like you would see forming off in the distance. As they grow, those three become two clouds, which are the next two designs. Finally, as the jar is turned, there is one large cloud with lighting and rain designs. The storm and the all important rain water have arrived. In one of the lower sections you can see that I etched into the clay two small deer tracks. Those represent me (my name in Tewa meaning Deer Path) watching the storm clouds billow on the horizon.”
The jar is very fully carved and each of the sections of design change, flow and interlock as the jar is turned. The red clay slip is deep and rich in coloration and the jar was traditionally fired. The last photo is one that I took of the jar in the fire! The polishing is spectacular on this jar with an amazing shine from the stone polished surface! While the shape, carving, and designing might seem like enough, Nathan also takes his pottery one step further. After it is fired, he uses small screwdrivers and scrapes the sides of the carved designs and the recessed areas, to create a visually striking contrast. It is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and deer tracks, which represent his name in Tewa. Simply stunning!
$ 6,800.00
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 wide bowl is very highly polished and it is fired a dark black. The bowl is signed in the clay, “Maria Poveka”. This is a combination of her Anglo and Tewa names. Her name, “Poveka” means “Water Lilly”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 2,200.00
This jar by Al Qoyawayma is made from mauve Hopi clay. It is from 1996 and the shape is what Al calls a “Harmony Jar”. It has a round body and an elongated neck with a turned out rim. The jar is vertically polished creating an “onion skin” appearance to the surface. The design on the jar is a single carved area which has a corn design carved into the clay. It is a simple, but elegant form and design. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 2,000.00
This is a distinctive plainware jar San Ildefono potter Rose Gonzales. She is often considered the first at San Ildefonso Pueblo to make carved pottery. However, over the course of her career, she created a variety of styles including plainware, painted and carved pottery. This jar is fully polished and fired black. There is a slight gunmetal coloration to the surface. The jar won a second place ribbon at the 1968 Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonials. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Rose”.
$ 975.00
This tall jar by Virgil Ortiz tells part of his story of the Pueblo Revolt. The designs are from his Revolt 1680/2180 series. There are two figures representing the Castilians or Conquistadors in the series of his work. One side has the Conquistador from 1680 and the other, the Castilian from 2180. Separating them are wildflower tendrils of design. Note on one side the additional triangular design as part of the imagery. Both figures are intricately painted using wild spinach plant for the black. There are turkey tracks which looks like an “x” near the Pueblo tendrils. The neck of the jar has a simple traditional cloud design. The jar shape itself is elegant with the high shoulder and short neck. The jar is made from native clay, native clay slips and wild spinach (the black). The piece is signed on the bottom. The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.
In the book, “Revolt”, I wrote about these as follows:
In 2007 Ortiz began to identify and give form to the various characters which would populate his story of the Pueblo Revolt. Tahu; the girl blinded by the Spanish Conquistadors, Mopez; the leader of the Runners, and the Castilians to represent the Spanish invaders. “I have created Native Superheroes in the form of clay, photography, video and film, which allows me the freedom to express my personal interpretation of the REVOLT – The First American Revolution. The Venutian Soldiers are futurist, herculean superheroes, over eight feet tall, who fight mainly at nighttime and possess extraordinary strength and magical powers”. Here the Venutian Soldiers reflect the destruction of pueblos by the Spanish during their original conquest. In their future version, it is the Castilians who have destroyed their ‘world’ and the Venutian Soldiers are the embodiment of this devastation. Their environment has been destroyed through nuclear weapons causing the Venutian Soldiers to use oxygen tanks and gas masks to survive. This story is a thoughtful embodiment of a world overrun and the natural order destroyed yet survivable by the sense of “Pueblo community”. The Venutians are lead by Tahu and Kootz to find a hospitable land and “rebuild their traditions and ways of life on ancestral sacred lands”.
$ 6,000.00
This is a simple but very elegant open bowl by Russell Sanchez. The shape of the bowl is a classic one for San Ildefonso for holding water. The interior of the bowl is fully polished and the rim is carved with 36 melon ribs to create a “water fall” rim. The symmetry of them give the bowl a unique appearance in terms of how the light reflects off the edge. There is almost a silvery-gunmetal appearance to the rim which seems heightened by the deep black interior. The exterior is a highly polished and slipped mica, which has a metallic appearance after the firing. While the bowl may seem simple in form, there is an inherent complexity to having it seem so strong with no design. It is certianly always the challenge to an artist like Russel to restrain themselves and let the clay, form, polish and firing speak for itself. That is the voice given to this bowl. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Russell”. Russell uses these historic elements to keep them alive on his contemporary pottery. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, ‘Russell”.
Click here to read: Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past
$ 2,900.00
Jason Wesaw is Potowatomi and from the Great Lakes area. Each piece is handmade and the simplicity of forms reflects the modernism with the context of his art. He says of his pottery,
“My work fits somewhere in between this deep connection to the land and the searching for spirit that resides within all things. This life-force reveals itself to me in bold colors, simple patterns, and straight forward forms. The vessel is important, in the sense that it acts as a body from which the spirit comes. But, my forms are decidedly simple and upright. The deer tail ornamentation of the lidded forms is the physical ‘emergence’ of this spirit. Each vessel, drawing, or textile is my re-interpretation of an old story, an observation of our connection to the natural world, or a confirmation of the deeply spiritual essence of all things in the physical realm of life.”
For his pottery, he uses glazes, underglazes and the top of the lid is a dyed deer tail. The shapes are simple but with thoughtfulness in the content of the design. This jar is entitled, “Spirit (Threads)”. Jason says of this piece:
“Spirit (Threads): like a singular, simple thread, woven together to form a stronger piece of yarn, and fashioned into a beautiful blanket of warmth to wrap around our communities, so is our spirituality. It connects us, unbroken, to everything before and after this moment we are living in now.”
Jason has won numerous awards for his pottery and paintings. He is a creative force in Native art and we are excited to have his work in the gallery.
$ 850.00
This tile by Jason Garcia is part of his Corn Maiden series which feature young Pueblo women in traditional dress for the Corn Dance and placing them in a modern context. This tile has a young Corn Maiden dancer standing in the center of Santa Clara Pueblo. Behind her are two of the kivas and their ladders, along with the hills behind the pueblo. Note the two water towers on the hill and the TV antennae. The antennae is a nod to “St. Claire”, the patron saint of Santa Clara Pueblo, but also televisions. In the top corner there is a traditional raincloud, which for Jason is a connection to the polychrome pottery of artists such as Lela and Van Gutierrez. On the back of the tile, it is titled, “Corn Maiden #30, along with hashtags #Muse and #KhaPoOwingeh (the Tewa name for Santa Clara Pueblo). The piece is made from native clay and painted with native clay slips. It is signed with his Tewa name, Okuu Pin, which means Turtle Mountain.
$ 1,100.00
Jason Wesaw is Potowatomi and from the Great Lakes area. He says of his pottery,
“My work fits somewhere in between this deep connection to the land and the searching for spirit that resides within all things. This life-force reveals itself to me in bold colors, simple patterns, and straight forward forms. The vessel is important, in the sense that it acts as a body from which the spirit comes. But, my forms are decidedly simple and upright. The deer tail ornamentation of the lidded forms is the physical ‘emergence’ of this spirit. Each vessel, drawing, or textile is my re-interpretation of an old story, an observation of our connection to the natural world, or a confirmation of the deeply spiritual essence of all things in the physical realm of life.”
Jason Wesaw is Potowatomi and from the Great Lakes area. Each piece is handmade and the simplicity of forms reflects the modernism with the context of his art. He says of his pottery,
“My work fits somewhere in between this deep connection to the land and the searching for spirit that resides within all things. This life-force reveals itself to me in bold colors, simple patterns, and straight forward forms. The vessel is important, in the sense that it acts as a body from which the spirit comes. But, my forms are decidedly simple and upright. The deer tail ornamentation of the lidded forms is the physical ‘emergence’ of this spirit. Each vessel, drawing, or textile is my re-interpretation of an old story, an observation of our connection to the natural world, or a confirmation of the deeply spiritual essence of all things in the physical realm of life.”
For his pottery, he uses glazes, underglazes and the top of the lid is a dyed deer tail. The shapes are simple but with thoughtfulness in the content of the design. This jar is entitled, “The Four Directions”. Jason says of this piece:
“Four Directions: we have no tradition of pottery left amongst our people. This can be said about many things, including the fact that of 50,000+ Potawatomi, we have less than 10 fluent speakers living. But…our traditional teachings assure us that nothing is really ever lost. Rather, elders and wisdom keepers set different aspects of our culture down along the path of life, just waiting for the right ones to come and pick them back up.”
Jason has won numerous awards for his pottery and paintings. He is a creative force in Native art and we are excited to have his work in the gallery.
$ 850.00
It’s great to have a new tile from Jason Garcia. Jason has won numerous awards for his works in clay along with his Pueblo Revolt serigraph series. This piece is made from native clay and painted with native clay slips. This piece is part of his “Tewa Tales of Suspense” series. Each piece is inspired by graphic novels and early comic book art and the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. This tile has the pueblo warrior standing on the edge of a cliff holding the head of one of the monks killed during the Revolt. In the background, the church is burning. This piece is a dramatic interpretation of true events, as when the Pueblo people revolted against the Spanish it was partially in response to a suppression of their native religion. In response to that and the harshness of many of the priests, they were killed during the Revolt. Note in the background there is a scene which Jason says was inspired by the famous painting by Hopi artist Fred Kaboti. I included an image of the Kaboti painting in the description. The painting and imagery on this piece are striking and intense. His piece is signed with his Tewa name, Okuu Pin, which means Turtle Mountain. This tile is hand built from native clay. All of the colors are derived from Native clay.
$ 1,800.00
Jason Wesaw is Potowatomi and from the Great Lakes area. Each piece is handmade and the simplicity of forms reflects the modernism with the context of his art. He says of his pottery,
“My work fits somewhere in between this deep connection to the land and the searching for spirit that resides within all things. This life-force reveals itself to me in bold colors, simple patterns, and straight forward forms. The vessel is important, in the sense that it acts as a body from which the spirit comes. But, my forms are decidedly simple and upright. The deer tail ornamentation of the lidded forms is the physical ‘emergence’ of this spirit. Each vessel, drawing, or textile is my re-interpretation of an old story, an observation of our connection to the natural world, or a confirmation of the deeply spiritual essence of all things in the physical realm of life.”
For his pottery, he uses glazes, underglazes and the top of the lid is a dyed deer tail. The shapes are simple but with thoughtfulness in the content of the design. This jar is entitled, “Leaving Tracks”. Jason says of this piece:
“Leaving Tracks: we have no tradition of pottery left amongst our people. This can be said about many things, including the fact that of 50,000+ Potawatomi, we have less than 10 fluent speakers living. But…our traditional teachings assure us that nothing is really ever lost. Rather, elders and wisdom keepers set different aspects of our culture down along the path of life, just waiting for the right ones to come and pick them back up.”
Jason has won numerous awards for his pottery and paintings. He is a creative force in Native art and we are excited to have his work in the gallery.
$ 850.00
Jason Wesaw is Potowatomi and from the Great Lakes area. Each piece is handmade and the simplicity of forms reflects the modernism with the context of his art. He says of his pottery,
“My work fits somewhere in between this deep connection to the land and the searching for spirit that resides within all things. This life-force reveals itself to me in bold colors, simple patterns, and straight forward forms. The vessel is important, in the sense that it acts as a body from which the spirit comes. But, my forms are decidedly simple and upright. The deer tail ornamentation of the lidded forms is the physical ‘emergence’ of this spirit. Each vessel, drawing, or textile is my re-interpretation of an old story, an observation of our connection to the natural world, or a confirmation of the deeply spiritual essence of all things in the physical realm of life.”
For his pottery, he uses glazes, underglazes and the top of the lid is a dyed deer tail. The shapes are simple but with thoughtfulness in the content of the design. This jar is entitled, “Healing Path”. Jason says of this piece:
“Healing Path: a seemingly simple, horizontal line of silver shows the power in finding a way to heal from our wounds, emerging from the darkness, to live in a strong, determined way. Just as our ancestors would have wanted.”
Jason has won numerous awards for his pottery and paintings. He is a creative force in Native art and we are excited to have his work in the gallery.
$ 850.00
This is a complex lidded jar by Russell Sanchez. The entire piece is fully polished and it has a wide shoulder and a short neck. The base of the jar has 12 gourd indentions which are fully polished. The shoulder of the jar is exceptional in etched design with three San Ildefonso birds. The bodies of the birds are etched into the clay and are inspired by the imagery of early San Ildefonso potters from the 1920’s. Note the use of checkerboard, hatchwork lines and classic sun patterns to create the bodies and bird feathers! It’s is almost like a “starter course” in the exploration of the use of this imagery by early artists such as Rosalie & Joe Aguilar, Susana Aguilar, Tonita Roybal and Juan Cruz. There are two sections which are mica clay with small dots and they are surrounded by hematite hei-shi beads. The use of hematite is a traditional stone in San Ildefonso culture. The lid is carved with an extended star pattern and on top is a single piece of turquoise. It is almost the “surprise” of the jar. The jar has a deep black to gunmetal metallic shine. This is one of those pieces that is not only visually impressive, but there is a tactile aspect. Where one might expect the mica to have texture, it is so highly burnished it is perfectly smooth! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, ‘Russell”.
Click here to read: Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past
$ 7,200.00
This dynamic jar by Les Namingha is inspired by Zuni pottery of the early 1900’s. Les often pulls from his Hopi-Tewa and Zuni ancestry for inspiration. The shape and overall imagery finds a source in classic Zuni pottery. The top of the jar is painted with rain cloud and lightning designs. The lightning pattern on the neck is delicate and striking in the alternating designs. The shoulder has a water design. Note the flow of the coloration on this jar, as the top is greens and blues while the lower areas are the red of the earth. It is then the lower half of the jar which has the very tightly painted fine-line designs of the rain and cloud patterns. Close to the base are the circular water designs. The shape and intricate designs create a visual testament to a modernist approach to Zuni pottery. The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,800.00
This jar by Les Namingha a creative blend of Hopi-Tewa and modernist designs. The jar has a round shape with a short neck. It is fully painted with the green and blue stylized Hopi birds for summer. They are overlayed with the yellow and red birds of Autumn. The yellow birds have Les’s stylistic pointilism which he has often used on his pottery. The complexity and coloration on this jar are striking. The additions of the small dots, the very thin lines and the very subtle dark blue background all give the bird designs more depth and definition. This jar is part of his “Urban Polychrome” series, of which Les says:
“The concept of layering is inherent in our mortal journey. As time moves forward, our memories become layered. Some memories remain vibrant, others faint or hazy. Yet others, obscure or even hidden. Likewise, our experiences, words, works, emotions, prayers and songs build up in layers creating our existence. In turn, our societal interactions become exercises in layering. We see this in evidence with street art or graffiti writing where layers of thought and a desire to express a “proof of existence” create tapestries of color and marks. Blending, covering, harmonizing, dissonance, disappearing. This concept of layering is the idea behind Urban Polychrome and other works in the Urban Series.” Les Namingha
$ 4,000.00
This is a classic bowl by Maria Martinez from 1920-25. It was made and polished by Maria Martinez and painted by her husband, Julian. These early pieces are signed, “Marie”, although Julian was painting the designs. It was not until around 1925 that they began to sign both names to the pottery. This bowl has a slightly rounded shoulder and the design is painted in the area between the shoulder and the neck. The pattern is a cloud and lightning design. The bowl was highly fired to create a near gunmetal (metallic) appearance. The gunmetal color achieved on these early pieces was from the heat of the firing. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Marie”.
$ 1,800.00
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This bowl by Maria Martinez is very traditional piece of her early pottery. It was made and stone polished by Maria and then painted by her husband, Julian Martinez (1897-1943). The round shape of the bowl is one which Maria made throughout her career. The entire surface is fully polished, including the bottom. The design is a wave pattern with a series of lines encircling the piece. It is simple but works perfectly on this piece to emphasize the form. The bowl is fired a dark black coloration. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Marie + Julian” on the bottom. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,800.00
This jar by Maria Martinez is a classic of her early pottery. It was made and polished by Maria and then painted by her husband, Julian Martinez (1897-1943). The jar is one of her iconic forms with a sharp shoulder and a sloping neck. The design is painted on the shoulder of the jar. There is a feather pattern in two sections and a storm (lightning/rain) design on the other two. The jar is highly polished and fired a deep black in coloration. It is signed, “Marie + Julian” on the bottom. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 2,000.00
Mela Youngblood began making pottery in the late 1960’s and quickly achieved a distinctive style for her work. Each piece of her work very highly polished and when carved the edges are distinctly rounded. She was a daughter of noted potter Margaret Tafoya and the mother of Nancy Youngblood and Nathan Youngblood. This bowl is one of her few melon bowls. It is deeply carved with 22 ribs. Note as well that the entire surface is fully polished! There is an exceptional symmetry (as expected) to each of the ribs. They are smaller at the rim and base and wider around the shoulder, emphasizing the form of the bowl itself. The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Mela Youngblood”.
$ 2,200.00
This is an exceptional larger jar by Les Namingha. Les is a descendant of Nampeyo and learned to make pottery from his aunt Dextra Quotskuyva. This jar is one of his famous shapes, as it is inspired by a canteen, but reformed with a wider surface for more design. One side of the jar has a Sikyatki (Hopi pottery from the 1400’s) bird with extended wings. The colors are all reminiscent of Hopi with the black and red and intricate patterns in the body of the piece. The circles are like the reflections of light at sunrise. As the jar is turned there is the dramatic painted section. It is a complex compilation of Hopi designs which encompass most of the surface of the jar. The setting of the white clay and painted surface adds to the dramatic effect. There is something both modern and very ancient about this jar! It is signed on the bottom.
$ 3,800.00
Toni Roller is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery. A daughter of Margaret Tafoya, Toni has developed her own distinctive style and this wide shoulder bowl is one of her original forms. It is fully polished and has four bear paws incised into the surface. The bear paws are symbols of a Pueblo story where a bear lead the people to water during a drought. The bowl was made in 1989 and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,500.00
Barbara & Joseph Cerno are known for their large coil built vessels. The jar is coil built and it is a classic water jar shape with the wide shoulder and short neck. The jar is very intricately painted. There are two medallions, each with an Acoma style parrot. Surrounding the birds are black-on-white cloud and rain designs. Separating the two birds are mountain, cloud and floral designs. Note the detail of the fine-line painting within the designs! The bottom is slipped red and has an indented bottom, which again harkens back to the Acoma pottery of the late 1800’s. The jar is signed on the bottom “Barbara & Jospeh Cerno”. It is from 1998 and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is certainly a wonderful contemporary Acoma vessel with a dramatic use of revivalist designs and techniques.
$ 2,000.00
Rose Simpson is one of the exciting innovative potters working today. She is a daughter of noted potter Roxanne Swentzell. This piece brings together two strong aspects of her clay work. The geometric rectangular shapes create a stylized pueblo appearance. The small opening are much like doors and windows. The shapes are clay and are all one piece and textured. However, it is the clay work on her figure which is so dynamic. Rose has found a creative way to create her figurative work, with overlapping slabs of clay. The figures are realistic in form yet almost otherworldly or dream-like in their appearance. The various small slabs on the figure give an additional sense of movement as if the dancing figure is in motion. It is excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Rose continues to expand her style in various museum exhibitions around the US and create new and more dynamic works in clay. Look for her upcoming exhibition at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe.
$ 4,500.00
This seedpot by Camilio Tafoya is very intricately designed. It would seem that it most likely was made, polished and the designs were begun by Camilio and then the designs were finished by his son, Joseph Lonewolf. While it is signed by Camilio, it would suggest that the piece was already polished. However, there are indicators that it was finished by Joseph, as he finished several of the pieces which Camilio had in process before he passed. The deer are all very intricately etched and designed than on any of the piece finished by Camilio from 1990-5. There is is a large buck with antlers extending over the top of the seedpot. On the opposite side there is another deer with smaller antlers and two does. The deer are very intricately designed and they are much closer in style to those of Joseph. As well, there is the number on the bottom, which is precision-etched, and the last letters are JL, which are probably Joseph’s initials as the end of the numbering system. The numbering system used by Camilio was typically much shorter and a bit more stylistic in design. Overall, the piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,500.00
Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs. This bowl is very thin walled and has an indented bottom. It is fully polished red and etched with a single medallion. There is a Mimbres style grasshopper or cricket as the design. Not the depth and precision of the matte area behind the insect! There are rectangular green polished areas surrounding it, which represent the grass. The use of the green clay slip in 1973 was quite new and a extraordinary addition to native clay colorations at the time. The remainder of the bowl is fully polished red. The precision of the designs and the shine of the polished surface create a perfect balance. This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 1,800.00
Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs. This seedpot is from the 1990’s. It has the yearly symbol of a heart with a cross in it on the back. On the front is the classic Feathered Water Serpent which was used by Joseph Lonewolf and his family. Note the intricate detail in the head and the feathers. There is an additional butterfly etched into the back of the piece. The precision of the designs and the shine of the polished surface create a perfect balance. This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.
$ 1,250.00
Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs. This is a very small seedpot and yet it is very fully designed! The seedpot has two Mimbres style flute players as the design. They are surrounded by plant and rain designs. There is a butterfly on the opposite side. The heart medallion is the yearly symbol for 1986. There is an additional green clay slip used to highlight the designs. The precision of the designs and the shine of the polished surface create a perfect balance. This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,200.00
Barbara Gonzales is a great-great granddaughter of Maria Martinez. She is known for her innovative pottery which combines etched designs along with inset stones. This is one of her “Swish Pots”. She said that while they are basically a seedpot pot, she has put a small bead inside them. She says you can “swish” the bead around and make a wish”. The top of the seedpot is fully polished and etched with an intricate spiderweb. The center of the web has a star and an inset piece of turquoise. The web itself spirals out and has 8 inset pieces of pink coral. On the side, the bowl is slipped with mica and there is a single female spider with an inset piece of deep red coral. Barbara says she uses spiders as they are good luck symbols and the coral is a femals spider. The bottom of the piece is signed in the clay, “Than-Moo-Whe”, which is her name in Tewa. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 300.00
This engagement basket is by Rose Tafoya. It has the classic twisted handle and the sides are carved through with a mountain design. The entire surface is stone polished. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Rose Tafoya”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 150.00
Mary Ester Archuleta is a daughter of noted potter Margaret Tafoya. This water jar has a round body and a slightly turned out neck. It is fully polished red and carved around the body with a kiva step design. The carved areas are polished tan in contrast to the red of the remainder of the jar. The tan is the natural color of the clay and always difficult to achieve this coloration. There is also the traditional cream-colored slip painted into the carved areas. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Mary E. Archuleta. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Mary is the second youngest daughter of Margaret Tafoya. She married into San Juan Pueblo in the late 1960’s and created most of her pieces in the San Juan inspired style. While she no longer makes much pottery, her work is creative and distinctive in style and coloration.
$ 1,800.00
Glendora Fragua is known for her polished and intricately incised pottery. This water jar is larger in size for her work and it is polished with a red clay. The entire surface is fully etched with four large dragonflies, flowers and additional designs. The various designs are then highlighted with additional clay slips. On the inside of the neck has also painted a flower pattern! It is an intricate and complex jar with a striking combination fo designs, both painted and incised. The jar is signed on the bottom with a corn stalk, Glendora’s hallmark.
$ 1,200.00
This is one of the largest pieces we have had by Angela Baca. She was famous throughout her career for her melon ribbed pottery. The form is derived from the melon and squash grown in the area and so there is always an organic style to the shape. This piece is round and has 32 ribs carved into the clay. The entire surface of the bowl is fully polished, including the space between each of the ribs!. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Angela Baca” and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 1,375.00
This small jar by Samuel Manymules has a short neck and rounded melon ribs. The ribs are pushed out in the clay and there is a deep groove separating each rib. The symmetry of each rib adds to the overall appearance of the jar. The jar is traditionally fired and the coloration is striking! The variation from black to red to brown give the piece a sense of motion on the surface. The browner areas are where it was fired to a higher temperature. After the firing, the jar is then covered with pine pitch in the traditional way expected of Navajo pottery. It is extraordinary vessels like this which keep Samuel among the top Navajo potters working today.
$ 900.00
This shape of bowl is a new variation for Frederica Antonio. She is renown for her intricately painted pottery. Each piece is coil built and then finely painted. Her designs are a series of fine vertical and horizontal lines which are then filled in to create larger images in the squares. This bowl has a lip which is turned downward. The appearance is visually striking as she also paints the design to flow into the rim of the bowl! The piece is painted with a series of alternating cloud and wind designs. The detail and precision of the design, along with the shape, give the bowl a very modern appearance. The base of the jar is concave, reminiscent of historic Acoma jars which were carried on the head. This combination of thin walls, classic shape, and tightly painted design create a piece which is visually stunning! The jar is signed on the bottom.
$ 2,400.00
This parrot is a figurative piece in clay by Anderson Peynetsa. The parrot is coil built and the tail feather and head feathers extend outward. The mouth of the jar becomes the beak of the parrot. Around the body of the piece are five heartline deer painted onto the surface. The areas above and below the deer are a mottled clay of black, red and white. The piece is charming in person and the addition of the deer give it a very classic Zuni appearance. The parrot is signed on the bottom.
$ 1,200.00
This is a small seedpot by Rosemary Lonewolf. She learned to make pottery from her father, Joseph Lonewolf. The piece was fully polished red and the designs were etched into the clay. On the top is a butterfly and the sides have a swirling feather and flower design. There are green, blue and white additional clay slips added for color. All the various colors are different clay slips. which are added after the firing. The seedpot is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Appleblossom”. While Rosemary no longer makes many traditional style pieces of pottery, her miniatures remain a classic!
$ 200.00
This is an unusual open bowl/plate by Grace Medicine Flower is from 1974. It is fully polished on the front and back. The center is designed with a basket weave pattern. There are horizontal rows and then each row is vertically etched to create the “stitching” of the basket. There are deeper etched areas in the center to create an additional design. It is historically interesting as in the 1990’s she began making pieces with the “basket weave” pattern on her polychrome pottery. It is fascinating to see that she was intrigued by this design and style for over 30 years! The bowl has a medicine flower etched on the side and it is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”. It is in excellent condition with no chips,cracks restoration or repair.
$ 850.00
This is a classically shaped jar by Dorothy Torivio. She was among the first to utilize and then refine the “op-art” style in her Acoma pottery. She took traditional Acoma patterns and then repeated them on a vessel, ranging the size from small to large and then small again, in accordance with the shape of the vessel. The shape of the jar has a wide, sharp shoulder and a very tiny neck. The design is a yucca leaf which extends from the neck to the shoulder and then to the base. The open space of the white and the contrasting black give the jar a very modern appearance. The jar is signed on the bottom, “Dorothy Torivio” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
$ 975.00
This is a traditional bowl by Lorriane Williams. It is flat and wide in shape. The bowl size step cloud patterns which are incised into the clay. They are highlighted with red and black slips. They create an overall star pattern. The bowl has been traditionally fired. After the piece is fired it is covered in pine pitch, which is typical of all traditional Navajo pottery harkening back to when it was utilitarian. Lorraine has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “A Legacy of Generations”.
$ 50.00
This is a traditional jar by Lorriane Williams. It is a round bowl and there are three bands of rug style star patterns. They are incised into the clay. The top and bottom bands are red awhile the center is black. The bowl has been traditionally fired. After the piece is fired it is covered in pine pitch, which is typical of all traditional Navajo pottery harkening back to when it was utilitarian. Lorraine has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “A Legacy of Generations”.
$ 90.00
Christopher Youngblood creates intricately carved vessels which reflect a perfect balance of matte and polished surfaces with intricately carved designs. This lidded jar focuses on his carved and rounded melon swirls. There are eight sections, each swirl in an “s” shape extending vertically on the jar. Around the top and the base are 16 circles. Note the precision of the carving to make the perfectly round and the scalloped matte edge on the rim and the base! The jar is highly polished and it is a striking balance of polished and matte surface. The piece is from 2011 and it was originally sold by us and it has come back to the gallery again. It is great to see how his creativity and technical strength has been evident for such a long period! The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Chris is a perfectionist with the matte areas of his pottery, as they perfectly balance the highly polished designs. Chris says that he focuses on each piece, taking the time to work on the shaped and stone polish the surface to a high shine, often polishing a piece several times to get it right. He has won numerous awards for his pottery, including the 2104 “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market.
$ 3,500.00
Susan Folwell is one of the exciting innovators in Pueblo pottery. This jar is part of her series entitled, “Peering through Taos Light”. The design for the jar comes from a painting by E. Hennings entitled, “Blue Lake” (which can be seen in the last image). This creative jar is square in shape and rag polished. The design is a series of riders on horseback under the fall leaves. It almost seems as if they are such a distant memory that they are fading into the jar itself. In the same manner, the rim of the jar has been wet and texturized to feel like an older piece of pottery. Susan does this by wetting down the rim of the jar before it is fired. Again, as if it was used and like the memory of the riders, forgotten. What is hard to see in the photos is that the blue int he areas below the riders are all spaces in the clay, which Susan created by adding paper to the clay which, when fired, left these small inclusions. They create an extraordinary texture. This seems to be simple but is exceptional in form, texture and design. The jar is signed on the bottom.
“My newest pieces serve as commentaries and reflections on the classic Taos Society of Artists Work. I specifically want to focus on their portrayal of Native Women”. Susan Folwell
Native Art Magazine, April 2018
$ 2,300.00
Locations: 4168 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 - Phone: 480.481.0187 | 130 Lincoln Ave #D, Santa Fe, NM 87501 - Phone: 480.440.3912 | Email: kgs@kinggalleries.com
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