This is a Simple but elegant bowl by Russell Sanchez. He continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery.  Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched.  The top of this bowl is carved with hard melon ribs. Each rib extends to the mouth of the piece with a narrow edge.  Each rib is stone polished black.  The lower sections of the bowl are polished a deep red.  Around the side is a checkerboard snow design in black and tan.  The deep red color is a revival by Russell as it is the same red clay slip which was used at San Ildefonso in the 1920’s and 30’s.  Separating the various bands on the side of the jar is inset hematite hei-shi beads.  Note how small they are and the shine!  The lid is polished deep red with a single inset band of hei-shi beads.   The shape, creative design and highly polished surface are striking on this piece.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Click here to read: Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

Dextra Quostkuyva Nampeyo is certainly one of the most influential Hopi-Tewa potters of the last 50 years. Not only has she taught numerous potters (Steve Lucas, Yvonne Lucas, Les Namingha, Loren Ami, Hisi Nampeyo, to name just a few), but her creative designs and forms changed have dramatically influenced the pottery itself.  This is an earlier jar from the 1970’s.  It is thin walled with a wide shoulder and turned out rim. The shape certainly reminds one of her mother, Rachel Nampeyo’s pottery.  The design is very intricately painted with a katsina mask on either side of an intricately painted spider design.  Separating the katsina masks are bird patterns highlight with a deep red clay.  The lines are very thin and close, as would be expected from her pottery!  This jar is signed on the bottom, “Dextra Quotskuyva (Nampeyo)”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is a tag from its entry into the New Mexico State Fair in the 1970’s.  A fascinating jar with an equally interesting design!

Grace Medicine Flower began her career making miniature pottery with incised designs.  This bowl is from 1989, at the height of when she was carving into the rim of her pottery.  It was also a very brief period when she used clay slips of various colors for her pottery.  This one has white and blue additional colors added to the birds.  Grace said that Joseph Lonewolf (her brother) gave her the clay colors and then when she ran out she didn’t get any more.  This bowl has three medallions with hummingbirds and medicine flowers.  The rim is carved as are various other sections of the bowl  It is very highly polished and fired a deep red.  It is certainly one of her classics and in a smaller size!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.  It is in perfect condition and just stunning in person!

Iris Nampeyo is a daughter of Fannie Nampeyo and a well known for her elegant asymmetrical vessels with corn as part of the design in relief.  Iris began using the corn in relief on the surface of her pottery in the early 1980’s. The corn is symbolic of being part of the Corn Clan.  The surface of the bowl is stone polished and the corn on the front is in applique relief.  The husk of the corn is sharp and the matte area extends around to the base of the jar.  The matte areas are in contrast to the remainder of the piece which is polished.  The opening is asymmetrical which is in keeping with the organic style of the form. What is very unusual on this piece is the coloration, which is a white clay with black areas from the firecloud.  It is stunning in appearance and the swirls of color around the sruface.  There is a simplicity and elegance in her pottery.   While she no longer makes pottery, her vessels remain classic.  This piece is signed on the bottom in the clay and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Lois Gutierrez is one of the few potters who continue to create traditional polychrome (more than 3 colors of clay) pottery at Santa Clara Pueblo.  This is a traditional style water jar with the low shoulder and elongated neck and slightly turned out rim.  The jar is painted with natural clay slips and there are over five different colors used. Around the neck there are two eagles in a tumbling or swirling position.  The base has a cloud and rain design in red.  The jar has been traditionally fired outdoor and overall is a striking coloration.  It is signed on the indented bottom of the jar.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is an exceptional jar by Ida Sahmie.  It is the Day Chant Dance with 15 male and female Yei-bi-chi dancers encircling the jar.  The top half of the jar is polished while the bottom half is matte.  The background area is the polished natural color of the clay.  In the background, there are the mesas, clouds, and even birds!  Note how she has also painted the shadows of each dancer extending to the base of the bowl.  Ida also etches into the clay for the faces and the bodies, leather, and masks of each dancer. The bottom of the jar is painted with a step cloud design, which is also used on Navajo wedding baskets.  The rim is polished red and painted with a mountain line and a spirit line break in the pattern. The jar is thin-walled and traditionally fired.  Ida is a daughter-in-law of Priscilla Nampeyo and she continues to make beautifully formed pottery with wonderfully complex designs.  She has won numerous awards for her pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market.  She is the only Navajo potter creating this unique style of ethnographic pottery.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Ida Sahmie”.  This jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It also has a First Place ribbon from the 2012 Navajo Nation Fair.

This jar by Johnathan Naranjo captures his unique style of sgraffito and etching on his pottery.  The jar is fully polished and the various colors are simply created by the depth of the etching into the clay!   Jonathan continues to amaze with this designs and technique.  There are two panels of birds.  They are very intricately designed.  Separating them are two sections of a ribbon pattern. The designs on the ribbon are classic Santa Clara designs.  The rim is also designed with bird wing and geometric cloud motifs.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Johnathan has won numerous awards for his pottery and  Johnathan is definitely one of the young potters to watch!

Rebecca Lucario is known for her delicate and intricately painted pottery.  She uses traditional Acoma clay and paints with bee-weed (a plant) and clay slips.  Ever since one of her plates appeared on the cover the “Changing Hands” exhibition catalog, her work has become iconic with fine-line style painting.  This larger plate has a fineline center design.  This emanates out into the “petals” of the flower which are a series of diamond shaped patterns.  They are either filled in black, painted with fine-lines or painted with and outlined “x” design.  The design starts small but gets larger as it nears the rim. The rim of the jar is painted with a red clay slip.  The intricate design of the plate is certainly visually dynamic! It is signed on the back, “R. Lucario, Acoma, 2018”.

This is an extraordinary box by Dolores Curran.  She continues to create intricately incised and painted pottery.  This piece combines both the incised polychrome pottery inspired by her late husband, Alvin Curran, and her delicately painted buff-on-red style. The painted areas of the box are amazing in detail and time-consuming.  Everything has to be repainted at least four times for the color to appear solid!  The outside of the box is fully polished and has feathers, prayer feathers, clouds and turtles as the design.  There is also a water serpent along the rim.  The top of the side of the box is mica slipped and has painted cloud designs which extend over the rim.  The lid is incised with a feather pattern, along with two sections of prayer feathers. There are various clay colors to create white and red.  The center of the lid has a painted avanyu and the rim of the lid has another avanyu!  Turn the lid over and there is an incised butterfly!  I’ll say it again, the work and detail on a piece of her work this size is extraordinary!  The box is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This  bowl by Effie Garcia is deeply carved and highly polished.  It has a Mountain pattern with the wind flowing off the surface fo which is carved into the clay. The design is then outlined with a clay slip and the remainder of the bowl is highly polished.  It is fired a deep black.  The high polish and angle from the shoulder make her work distinctive. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This is a fully designed bowl by Gloria Garcia.  It is fully polished and fired black. The bowl has a series of Pueblo style deer encircling the piece. Each is etched into the clay and note how the body of each deer has additional etched designs. There is a cloud design around the neck and a single inset piece of coral.  It is very highly polished and a very classic design.  It is signed on the bottom, “Golden Rod”.

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 bowl is thin walled and has a braided handle.     The piece is traditionally fired so there are beautiful blushes across the surface.  It is signed on the bottom.  Will be exciting to see how Kimberly’s work continues to evolve in creating more Picuris pottery!

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 bowl is thin walled and has a scalloped rim and a handle.   The piece is traditionally fired so there are beautiful blushes across the surface.  It is signed on the bottom.  Will be exciting to see how her work evolves in creating more Picuris pottery!

Madeline Naranjo creates beautifully carved and polished pottery.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished and traditionally fired.  This jar has a round body and an elongated neck.  There are four bears carved into the clay.  They alternate between matte and polished.  Above them is a carved cloud design.  The contrast of the matte and polished surfaces works perfectly, especially with the polished neck.  Note as well how her matte areas are sanded and perfectly smooth so that there are no indentations or areas where the matte might make a shadow.  Her designs are always innovative and beautifully executed.  The jar is signed on the bottom.

Madeline Naranjo creates beautifully carved and polished pottery.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished and traditionally fired.  This larger bowl has four turtles carved into the clay.  They are each deeply carved and matte, while surrounded by a stone polished surface.  The contrast of the matte and polished surfaces works perfectly, especially with the polished neck.  Note as well how her matte areas are sanded and perfectly smooth so that there are no indentations or areas where the matte might make a shadow.  Her designs are always innovative and beautifully executed.  The jar is signed on the bottom.

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.  These two miniature are traditional water jar and bowl shapes.  They are made from Picuris clay and traditionally fired.  There are slight blushes on the surfaces of both pieces.  They are each signed on the bottom.  Kimberly has been making pottery for the past year and we look forward to her continuation of this traditional pottery.

Greg Lonewolf is the son of Joseph Lonewolf and is known for his intricately incised miniatures.  This is a set of five miniatures, each very intricately etched and designed.  There is a dragonfly, which is the largest.  The Turtle seedpot has a turtle on top and feathers on the side.  The Fish seedpot has three Mimbres style fish encircling the piece.  The duck seedpot has a Mimbres duck on the front and a realistic duck on the back.  The smallest is the Mimbres Frog seedpot with a realistic frog on the back. Each piece is fully polished and highlighted with additional clay slips.  The contrasts of size and intricate realism is exceptional.  Each piece is signed and the dragonfly seedpot says “set of 5” and each has a number in the set (1-5).  They are each in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  While Greg no longer makes pottery, his work remains exceptional.  If there is interest in breaking up the set, I will consider it but thought it was a unique opportunity for the whole group to remain intact.

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.

Iris Nampeyo comes from a family of talented potters including her siblings: Tonita Nampeyo, Tom Polacca, Elva Nampeyo and Leah Garcia Nampeyo. Iris is a granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano and a daughter of Fannie Nampeyo.  She is married to Wallace Youvella and their son Nolan is also a talented potter.  Iris is best known for her buff colored pottery with the single ear of corn as the design.  This tall seedpot of hers from the late 1970’s.  It is fully polished and there is a single ear of corn in appliqué on one side.  The corn husk area is more simple than in her later work and the corn itself has a larger and more dramatic appearance on the jar.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Iris Youvella Nampeyo”.

Barbara & Joseph Cerno are known for their large coil built vessels.  This miniature is coil built and painted with two Mimbres style bugs as the design.  There is some very intricate fineline and hatchwork designs.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom, “B.J. Cerno”.  Barbara & Joseph remain among the most renown contemporary Acoma potters for their revival of historic patterns.

This bowl  by Gloria Garcia is fully polished  and etched with one of her more realistic scenes.  There are six buffalo on this piece.  Each of the buffalo is detailed with design and there are additional cloud and lightning designs surrounding them. There is an additional white clay slip used as part of the lightning design in the sky.  There are even a few gophers in the scene as well!  This bowl is very highly polished and fired a deep red. It is signed on the bottom with her Tewa name “GoldenRod”.

Elizabeth Medina is known for traditional style of Zia pottery.  Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays and native fired.  Did you know that Zia potters mix volcanic basalt into their clay to give it strength? This jar has a low shoulder and it is painted with three birds. Each bird is different in body style, wings and color.  Separating each bird is a large flower.  Each flower has polished petals.  Around the neck is a intricately painted rain design.  It is a very intricately painted jar for the size.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Elizabeth Medina, Zia”.

This jar by Jody Naranjo is from 2004.  It is highly polished around the neck and the base.  These area are fully etched with her signature “kiva step” design, as is the inside of the rim.  The center band is matte. The design is a series of birds encircling the jar.  The jar has flat sides, which creates as striking appearance to both the jar and the burnished surfaces.  The brown coloration is derived from the outdoor firing process.  The jar is signed, “Jody Naranjo” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Jody said of her designing:

“As for the design on the top and the bottom, it was the kiva step in the beginning. My family used them but just parts of them, the top half of the design. I started making them just around the top of the pot in one row. Then it became two rows and three rows, and then I started filling in between them.  Now it looks more like a textile, and it’s a signature pattern that I do on everything.” Jody Naranjo, Spoken Through Clay

This is an extraordinary carved open bowl by Autumn Borts-Medlock.  She is known for her often fanciful carved pottery and use of unique shapes.  The bowl is carved on the rim and the inside of the rim has etched stars.  On the inside of the bowl, it is fully carved with a moon, star, mountain and river design. The stars, mountains, and clouds are all full polished. The river is carved using “melon ribs” to create the angles.  It is amazing that she could carve into the center of the bowl with such precision!  The back of the bowl is also fully carved with melon ribs, which replicate the design of the river!  Not only visually creative but technically very difficult to create this style of the piece.  It is traditionally fired black and signed on the back.  The bowl has a metal museum mount in which it sits to show off the creative design!

Preston Duwyenie is known for his Hopi pottery which blends modern and traditional aspects of the art. This jar is made from a white clay which he finds near Second Mesa at Hopi.  The shape is interesting, as it is a much more Hopi-Tewa from with the wide shoulder and sloping neck.  This is certainly a shape one would associate with Nampeyo fo Hano.  The neck and area below the shoulder are fully polished.  There is a band around the shoulder which has the shifting sand design is carved into the clay.  What makes the “sand” area so fascinating is how Preston carves it so that it has a very natural appearance.  Separating each of the three panels are rectangular sections, each with a single inset piece of silver.  The silver insets are cast from cuttle-fish bone (a type of squid).  The casting creates a similar style of ‘shifting sand’ design to complement the clay areas!  The thin walls of the bowl, the organic feel of the shifting sand and the strength of the silver insets are elegant on this piece.  The piece is signed on the bottom with is hallmark signed on the bottom in the clay with Preston’s hallmark which is a woman carrying a child and his Hopi name, which means “carried in beauty”.   Preston is from Third Mesa at Hopi and taught ceramics for years at Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe.

Why the shifting sand designs? Preston says he remembers watching a smooth pebble caught in sand being shifted by the wind, “there was beauty in its isolation within the sea of sand. It was like an island.  The endless sands of time, and the fact that people, too are tossed about by the wind. There is always rippling in our lives”.

Hubert Candelario is one of the few potters from San Felipe Pueblo.  He has been known for his micaceous pottery for over thirty years.  This is an interesting and creative departure in his  work. It is a smaller piece with a single dragonfly cut through the clay. There are numerous other holes of various sizes also cut through.  The departure is the surface. Instead of a rough surface the surface has been burnished. The mica can still be seen and catches the light, but the surface is smooth. Looking inside and the rougher texture of the mica is visible.  The polishing has given the piece a bit darker coloration.  This is a new piece is from 2018 and an exciting variation on his style and designs. It is signed on the bottom. 

John Aragon is known for his use of Mimbres imagery on his pottery.  This is one of his open bowls.  Inside the bowl it is fully painted with about 50 lizards!  Each lizard has a similar body with fine-line designs.  They overall appearance is one of both ancient and modern.  The outside of the bowl has a rain cloud designs.  The bowl was made in 1999.  Today, John makes almost no pottery but his pieces have their own distinctive style.  The piece is signed on the bottom.  It in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Myron Sarracino is one of the few Laguna potters working today.  He learned to make pottery from Gladys Paquin and creates pieces which are thin walled and tightly painted. The imagery on much of his pottery is derived from pre-historic pottery designs. This jar is a more classic Laguna shape with the high shoulder.  The designs, however, are among his more complicated.  The neck has an angular lightning design while the base has a more linear version.  In the center of the jar is a modified style of the Tularosa swirl from the ancient black-and-white Tularosa pottery.  This design has been squared off and has contrasting bold black and fine-line painted designs.  The result is imagery that evokes rain and swirling clouds.  The black and white coloration gives this jar both an ancient and very contemporary appearance.  Note on the rim that there is a  painted “spirit line”, which is where the “spirit” of the painter is able to leave the piece.  It is seen on much of the historic Acoma and Laguna pottery.  It is signed on the bottom.

Myron Sarracino is one of the few Laguna potters working today.  He learned to make pottery from Gladys Paquin and creates pieces which are thin walled and tightly painted. The imagery on much of his pottery is derived from pre-historic pottery designs. This jar has a sloping shoulder and a short neck.  It’s a great shape for this dynamic lighting design.  Looking from the bottom of the design upwards, there is a square mesa pattern. The remainder of the jar is painted with a lightning pattern.  Myron reveals his ability to match shape and design with the flow of the pattern.  This is also one of those iconic designs for Acoma pottery which was revived by Lucy M. Lewis.  Note on the rim that there is a  painted “spirit line”, which is where the “spirit” of the painter is able to leave the piece.  It is seen on much older Acoma and Laguna pottery.  It is signed on the bottom.

Elizabeth Medina is known for a traditional style of Zia pottery.  Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays and native fired.  Did you know that Zia potters mix volcanic basalt into their clay to give it strength? This jar is made by Elizabeth Medina and painted by her husband, Marcellus.  There is a realistic hummingbird on one side and two butterflies on the other side.  Separating them are delicately painted flowers and a prayer feather.  There is always a gracefulness in the painting of Marcellus Medina.  The jar is signed on the side, “M + E Medina, Zia”.

Stetson Setalla is a son of noted potter Pauline Setalla.  This large tile is fully polished.  It has a stylized hummingbird and flower on the front along with two dragonflies.  There are two different colors of red which comeplment the various areas of the painting.  The black is bee-weed and there are strong blushes from the firing. It is signed on the back. Interestingly, the first time I met Stetson was through the famous photographer Jerry Jacka, around 1998.  Jerry was photographing Stetson’s pottery for is book on Hopi art and asked Stetson to stay until I arrived so I could see his pottery!  Definitely a talented potter from the very beginning!

Garrett Maho is known for his traditional and innovative Hopi-Tewa pottery.  This jar has a bird which is inspired by the Awatovi ruin murals from near Hopi.  The bird is surrounded by additional tightly painted bird tail, cloud and wing patterns.  The deep red is an additional clay slip while the black is painted with bee-weed (a plant).  The bowl has been traditionally fired so that there are blushes on the surface.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This is a classically shaped jar by Mary Ester Archuleta.  The piece has straight sides and a slightly rounded neck.  The top and bottom are fully polished red.  The center band is deeply carved. There is an avanyu on one side which is polished red.  The opposite side has seven feathers which are polished tan.  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 excellent 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.  It was her marriage at San Juan and reviving pottery there, which reminded Margaret about how she learned to polish the tan slip when her brother had married and moved there years earlier.  

Nancy Youngblood creates stunning vessels which combine both matte and polished surfaces. This is an elegant vase with deeply carved sections where she has two different types of shells as the design.   The use of shells in her pottery is reminiscent of the shells worn by the Pueblo Dancers during various ceremonies.  Historically, there are lots of shells found in the Southwest, as they were highly valued and used for trade.  Note how the shells are rounded out like the ribs in her melon bowls!  The surrounding area is matte, which contrast perfectly with the high shine of her stone polished surfaces.  Note how even the matte areas are, as if they are not flat and even they create shadows.  The symmetry of the jar is perfection, with a narrow base and a wide shoulder.  The lid has carved and polished shells on each side and they are fully polished and each section is rounded out.  The lid also fits perfectly into the jar with a line to show exactly where to position it on the vessel.  The jar is from 2006 and it is in perfect condition.

Stunning!  This is an exceptional large water jar by Nancy Youngblood. The shape is a classic water jar with a rainbow ridge shoulder.  The shape is inspired by the work of her grandmother, Margaret Tafoya, and her great-grandmother, SaraFina Tafoya. The jar has 32 ribs swirling around the neck and 32 ribs swirling towards the base!  The rim is perfectly carved and polished with the inside of the rim also rounded out!  It is always technically difficult to create a rim of such complexity and not have it break during the polishing!  As well, note the depth of the carving on this piece.  The entire bowl is fully polished which takes an extraordinary amount of time.  Consider that each rib has two “sides”to be polished and the surface area of the piece is about double its size!  Nancy has won numerous awards for her melon bowls and this is undoubtedly a classic of her style!  This jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood”.  It was made in 2004, which was the year she won the prestigious New Mexico Governor’s Award for the Arts and was shown at in the Governor’s office.  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Nancy said of this style of her pottery:

“I got the idea from seeing a picture of Sara Fina’s work. Her jar had a fluted top, and the swirl went from the left to the right and ended at the raised rainbow band on the shoulder. The bottom was plain. I wanted to take the shape and make it uniquely mine so I carried the swirl below the shoulder to the base. I deliberately curved in my fluted rim to make it more distinctive. Technically, this is one of the most difficult pieces to polish because you are continually flipping it around. You polish one side of a rib, and then you have to flip it real fast and polish the other side.” Nancy Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay

Michelle Tapia-Browning is a daughter of noted potter LuAnn Tafoya and a sister of Daryl Whitegeese. While she is better known for her photography and woodworking, she is also a gifted potter.  This bowl is coil built, carved, stone polished and traditionally fired.  The bowl is carved with a rain and mountain pattern.  While Michelle makes very few pieces of pottery, her work is classic and beautifully polished.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

LuAnn Tafoya is known for her deeply carved and highly polished traditional Santa Clara pottery. This is a medium sized piece of her work. The design is one which is unique to her as it was designed for her by her father, Alcario Tafoya. The design is a bird, which is carved in four panels. The area behind the design is slipped with a cream-colored clay. The top area of the jar is sloping and fully polished. LuAnn is masterful at polishing large surfaces such as this, and this is a perfect example of her skill! The light reflects perfectly on the burnished surface, as well as emphasizing the deep red coloration. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “LuAnn Tafoya”. The coloration is beautiful, and the shape of this piece is an excellent example of creativity, and commitment to traditional Santa Clara pottery. The last photo is an example of the raw form of the white clay used in the area behind the carving.

This is a very intricately carved lidded jar by Nancy Youngblood.  The jar is deeply carved with a water serpent encircling the top of the piece.  The body of the avanyu has Nancy’s signature lightning and water swirls.  Below the avanyu are 16 carving lightning designs.  The carving is very deep on this piece, and the rim and base are both matte.  The matte is one of the highlights of Nancy’s pottery, as she sands it with such precision that there are virtually no irregularities.  The smooth matte surfaces beautifully complement the polished areas of the jar.  The lid is fully polished and fits perfectly into the bowl.  The entire piece is traditionally fired to a dark black, and it is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood, 2006).  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Definitely a classic of her carved pottery.

This is one of the most difficult pieces I had to find by Virginia Ebelacker for the book, “Born of Fire”.  Virginia’s more classic carved and polished pieces were easy to acquire, but she did not make a lot of the plates with the silver insets. I thought it was fascinating how she had taught herself to be a silversmith and then applied it to her pottery.

“She [Virginia Ebelacker] was among the first Pueblo potters int he early 1970’s to inset turquoise set in silver bezels into carved sections of her pottery to complement the design.”  Born of Fire, p. 126

This plate is an interesting design with a bear paw in the center, which then has a carved area which is inset with turquoise set in a silver bezel. The bear paw is surrounded by a star pattern.  The back is matte and signed, “Virginia Ebelacker”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is published in Born of Fire on page 125.  Virginia’s sons Richard and James were both known for their distinctive large pottery and today her grandson, Jason, is also creating exceptional pottery.

LuAnn Tafoya is known for her highly polished traditional Santa Clara pottery.  This is a stunning red water jar.  It is a graceful shape with a high shoulder which just slightly indents before the neck rises upwards.  There is a single bear paw as the design on the neck.  She shape of the jar has a more historic appearance with the slight indented water band on the shoulder.  LuAnn said of her water jars:

“I remember shapes from when I was growing up. I didn’t see how my grandmother did them, but I saw my mom [Margaret Tafoya]. By watching how she did the water jar, that’s how I did mine. The bear paw, my mom told me, was the bear was looking for water. That’s also why the water bands are there on the shoulder and why we use the bear paw on the water jar.”  LuAnn Tafoya, Spoken Through Clay

The jar is highly polished and fired a striking red coloration. It is a new piece from LuAnn and exciting to she that she continues to make pieces of such exceptional quality.  The fully polished pieces are always more difficult to make than the carved vessels, as the entire piece has to be stone polished at the same time.  The water jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “LuAnn Tafoya”.   It is an exceptional example of her skill, creativity, and commitment to traditional Santa Clara pottery.

This is a long neck water jar by Mary Ester Archuleta.  The jar is fully polished red at the neck and the base.  Around the shoulder, it is carved with 24 melon ribs, which are polished tan.  Typical of her pottery, the jar is very highly polished!  It won “Best of Pottery” at the 1976 Eight Northern Pueblos Indian Market.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Mary E. Archuleta.  It is in excellent 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.  It was her marriage at San Juan and reviving pottery there, which reminded Margaret about how she learned to polish the tan slip when her brother had married and moved there years earlier.  

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 yet adhering to the traditional methods and techniques of her mother.  This may be one of the tallest pieces of her potter we have seen! The jar is 15″ tall and carved with two bands of design.  There is a central band with a carved avanyu.  Above the avanyu is a carved band with cloud, bird and lightning designs.  It is a very intricately designed piece. As well, the entire surface is fully polished!  It is traditionally fired a deep black.  The jar is from 2006 and signed on the bottom, “Toni Roller”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Definitely a significant piece by one of Margaret Tafoya’s daughters.

Toni Roller is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery.  A daughter of Margaret Tafoya, Toni has developed her distinctive style yet adhering to the traditional methods and techniques of her mother.  This new bowl reflect the precision of her carving and polishing!  The bowl is deeply carved with eight ribs. Note the angle at the side of each rib which gives the piece added depth. The entire bowl is fully polished to a very high shine. It was traditionally fired, and it is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Jazmin Roller (b. 2000) is a daughter of Tim Roller,  a granddaughter of Toni Roller and a great-granddaughter of Margaret Tafoya. This is one of her first pieces.  It is a low shoulder jar with a slight neck.  It is very deeply carved with a rain and mesa design.  The jar is nicely stone polished and traditionally fired.  She said her father Tim helped with the firing and that this was her first piece she has sold.  It’s exciting to see a younger potter continuing the Tafoya family traditions!  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Toni Roller is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery.  A daughter of Margaret Tafoya, Toni has developed her distinctive style yet adhering to the traditional methods and techniques of her mother.  This is a very unusual piece of her pottery.  It is from 1981, and the bowl is carved in four sections with a Tewa Sunface design.  Each of the sun designs has a feather pattern (sun rays) rising over the mesas (eyes) with a lake in front (mouth).  The inside of the bowl is also fully polished!  The bowl also has a lid with a handle. The top of the lid is also carved with a sun design!  It is a fascinating combination of form, design, and technique.  Both the lid and the bowl are signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Madeline Naranjo creates beautifully carved and polished pottery.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished and traditionally fired.  This jar is a small version of the storage jar with a high shoulder and slight neck.  Around the body of the piece are two avany, which are interwoven. One is matte and the other is polished.  The contrast of the matte and polished surfaces works perfectly, especially with the polished neck.  Note as well how her matte areas are sanded and perfectly smooth so that there are no indentations or areas where the matte might make a shadow.  Her designs are always innovative and beautifully executed.  The jar is signed on the bottom.

This is a striking miniature by LuAnn Tafoya.  She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and known for her large, highly polished pottery.  This jar is a classic shape for Santa Clara pottery with the round body and elongated neck.  The jar is deeply carved with a rain, lightning and mesa design.  The carving is deep and the entire surface is fully polished. There are little bear paw tracks etched into the rim of the jar.  Interestingly, LuAnn used a mica slip behind the carved designs, which stand out and give the background some “sparkle”.  The coloration is beautiful and the shape of his piece is a great example of her skill, creativity, and commitment to traditional Santa Clara pottery.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This is one of the few miniatures we have ever had from LuAnn Tafoya.  She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and known for her large, highly polished pottery.  This jar is a classic shape for Santa Clara pottery with the round body.  It is deeply carved with a water serpent encircling the piece.  The water serpent (avanyu) is part of a story where it saves the village from a flood.  That is why as the jar is turned the body of the avanyu consists of cloud and rain pattern.  However, that also gives the jar a distinctive appearance as it is turned beyond just the one design.  The jar is very highly polished and traditionally fired.  The color is a striking deep red.  The recessed area surrounding the carving is filled in using a white or cream-colored clay.  This creates a striking visual contrast between the tan and red areas.  The coloration is beautiful and the shape of his piece is a great example of her skill, creativity, and commitment to traditional Santa Clara pottery.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Frederica Antonio 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 is a classic water jar shape with the high shoulder and a slightly turned out rim. The neck of the jar is painted with a checkerboard pattern which is at an angle. The jar itself has a very complicated four seasons design which swirls around the jar.  The sections are summer (squares for corn), winter (stars), Spring (lightning), Fall (leaves).  Each of the sections is separated by a series of larger squares.  The coloration includes two additional colors of clay.  The entire jar is first painted black on white.  Frederica noted that she paints the red first, then the brown color and then had to go back over all the black lines again one more time!  The level of complexity and time involved on the painting of this piece is extraordinary!  The result, however, is stunning with a dynamic appearance and movement to the designs.  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.

Elizabeth Medina is known for traditional style of Zia pottery.  Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays and native fired.  This jar is painted in a traditional style with a bird or roadrunner on each side.  The birds are each different with variations in the wings and tails.  The bodies are stone polished with clay slips.  There is a polished red rainbow band over each of the birds.  Separating the rainbow sections are cloud and an elongated rain pattern.  The jar is complex with the variations of matte and polished surfaces.  The top of the lid is polished red while the turtle is added and slipped tan.  There is a polished and painted bird and flowers on the top.  The jar is signed on the side “Elizabeth Medina, Zia.

This is a complicated bowl by Russell Sanchez. He continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery.  Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched.  This bowl has rising sides and a neck which is indented so that it faces downward.  The side of the bowl is polished a very deep red.  It is etched with two birds, which are stylized in the classic San Ildefonso manner.  Each bird is different with their bodies and use of rain and cloud motifs.  The stylistic variation in the moths certainly reminds one of the painted of Florentiono Montoya.  He was known for his painting on pottery which varied imagery around the surface of the piece.  It is this historic San Ildefonso pottery and designs from the early 1900’s which are a source of inspiration for Russell.   The deep red color has also been revived by Russell and is the same red clay slip which was used at San Ildefonso in the 1920’s and 30’s.  There is a band at the top and bottom, which are a checkerboard design which is highlighted with a black clay slip.  They are lined above and below with shell and turquoise hei-shi beads.  The unusual and also technically difficult part of this bowl is how it turns downward into the bowl at the mouth.  The mouth has 32 carved melon ribs which are polished black.  They are lightly rounded which not only creates a striking visual but also textural feel!  The shape, creative design and highly polished surface are striking on this piece.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Click here to read: Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

This is a miniature seedpot by Geri Naranjo.  She is known for her miniature pottery and intricate designs.  This piece is fully polished and etched with an avanyu around the shoulder. There is a feather pattern in two rows above the avanyu.  Note that the feathers are horizontal and not the usual vertical.  The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Geri Naranjo”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a wide storage jar shaped miniature jar by Geri Naranjo.  She is known for her miniature pottery and intricate designs.  This jar is fully polished and the rim is two-toned sienna. There are three bands of design etched into the clay.  On the top of the shoulder there is an etched avanyu, then feather pattern.  Below the feather pattern is a cloud and rain motif.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Geri Naranjo”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This piece by Preston Duwyenie is made from red Hopi clay. The shape is inspired by early Sikyatki pottery with wide, low shoulders.  The body of the piece is fully polished with a matte area near the top.  The polished area is meant to represent the earth, the raised area the waters and the higher matte areas the land and mountains.  It is “the earth in balance” as all three are connected.  The bowl is rounded on the bottom and there is an acrylic base which comes with the piece to hold it steady.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay with Preston’s hallmark which is a woman carrying a child.  Preston is from Third Mesa at Hopi, and taught ceramics for years at Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe.

Christine McHorse is well known for her sculptural pottery.  Each piece is coil built and have very thin walls.  This bowl is a classic of her traditional style.  It is very thin walled and on the rim there is a raised band.  The neck has an incised rain motif and at the base is a stylized mountain design (the triangles). The jar was traditionally fired and then covered with pine pitch.  The firing created the various colors on the surface.   There is a simplicity to the jar and yet it is certainly striking among her traditional style.  Christine said of her Navajo pottery,

“I didn’t really have any idea about Navajo pottery. When I started making pottery, I also started researching it in books and museums. The Navajo pottery that was written about, they were called “mud pots.” It had not developed to the sophisticated level of Pueblo pottery. The term “mud pots” affected me to the point that I thought, I’m going to have to show them some Navajo pottery. My first time at Indian Market was in 1983. At first, I entered my work in the Taos style category of pottery.  Then I started incising burnished surfaces and applied piñon pitch. I did as much as I could with materials that a Navajo potter would use. So I started out doing the Taos style, then doing the Navajo style, eventually exploring other methods which led to contemporary forms.” Christine McHorse, Spoken Through Clay

Today she is creating more sculptural works with her pottery as in the recent “Dark Light” exhibit.  This jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom.

Bobby Silas is an exceptional potter creating revival Siktayki pottery using similar clay and firing techniques to those pieces created between 1100 and 1600.  Are you familiar with Sikyatki? In Hopi, Sikyátki, means “Yellow House” and it is known for its distinctive style of pottery.  The vessels were large and painted with a wide variety of designs. It was this pottery which was excavated beginning in 1895 which inspired Nampeyo of Hano to create her own stylized versions.  Bobby has been making his own coil built pieces from clay local to Hopi and painted with natural clay slips and bee-weed/mustard plant for the black.  Interestingly, he has taken the time to seek out the local lignite coal which the Siktayki potters used to fire their potter.  It burn hot and gives the pieces a distinctive coloration and it is also a very high firing, which makes them very hard.  In terms of designs, Bobby says that he seeks out both older pieces and looks at older designs for inspiration.

This large jar is a classic ancient shape with the wide shoulder and turned out rim. Bobby said that he found a shard which had the design seen on the shoulder of this piece.  It was from this design which he expanded and created the design on the jar.  The neck of the jar has a series of circles, which vary with four different colors of clay. These are the clay colors he uses on his pottery and the variations are symbolic to four directions, seasons, etc.  The painting on his pottery is interesting, as if you look closely it has a more “painterly” appearance as he is using the older red clay seen on Hopi-Tewa pottery before the 1930’s.  The jar itself has a yellowish/white coloration from the firing and there are blushes across the surface.  Because of the use of lignite coal, the blushes are different in coloration from the classic manure firings.  If you are like me, I have to stop and adjust by view to understand the variation in firing techniques and how they impact the color of the clay.  The jar is signed on the bottom with a coyote track (Coyote Clan) and his name.  It’s exciting to see an artist delve into the past for inspiration and take the time to seek out the historic methods of firing.  Bobby has recently won awards at the Museum of Northern Arizona for his pottery and we look forward to seeing how his pottery evolves over time!

Bobby Silas is an exceptional potter creating revival Siktayki pottery using similar clay and firing techniques to those pieces created between 1100 and 1600.  Are you familiar with Sikyatki? In Hopi Sikyátki, means “Yellow House” and it is known for its distinctive style of pottery.  The vessels were large and painted with a wide variety of designs. It was this pottery which was excavated beginning in 1895 which inspired Nampeyo of Hano to create her own stylized versions.  Bobby has been making his own coil built pieces from clay local to Hopi and painted with natural clay slips and bee-weed/mustard plant for the black.  Interestingly, he has taken the time to seek out the local lignite coal which the Siktayki potters used to fire their potter.  It burn hot and gives the pieces a distinctive coloration and it is also a very high firing, which makes them very hard.  In terms of designs, Bobby says that he seeks out both older pieces and looks at older designs for inspiration.

This jar is coil built and there are two parrot heads extending out from the sides.  The parrot has long been an important part of Hopi culture (Parrot Clan, parrot feathers).  Here sides of the jar are painted with large parrot wings and feathers. However, note the band around the shoulder with the small squares, which are classic Sikyatki designs which has used to connect the two birds.  The jar itself has a yellowish/white coloration from the firing and there are blushes across the surface.  Because of the use of lignite coal, the blushes are different in coloration from the classic manure firings.  If you are like me, I have to stop and adjust by view to understand the variation in firing techniques and how they impact the clay.  The jar is signed on the bottom with a coyote track (Coyote Clan) and his name.  It’s exciting to see an artist delve into the past for inspiration and take the time to seek out the historic methods of firing.  Bobby has recently won awards at the Museum of Northern Arizona for his pottery and we look forward to seeing how his pottery evolves over time!

Susie Crank is a daughter of Rose Williams and a sister of Alice Cling.  This is one of her classic shaped water jars.  The jar is slipped with a red clay and then traditionally fired. The various colorations are created from the smoke in the outdoor firing.  The piece was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pitch was used to make the pottery water proof.  It has striking color variations from red to black.  It is signed on the bottom.

This jar by Alice Cling has a narrow base and has an asymmetrical rim. The idea is that the rim looks like the mountains and mesas in the Southwest.  This jar is fully polished red and then fired outdoors.  The jar has a deep color from the smoke and fire.   The colors on this piece vary from tan to black to a deep red.  The jar was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof. Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”

This bowl by Alice Cling has has flat, sloping shoulders.  The sides are pushed in so that they create a square mouth. There is a design impressed into the clay which is a mountain design. She used a jewelry stamp to create the design. It is an interesting connection of jewelry and clay.  The bowl was traditionally fired to create the fireclouds.  It was covered in pinon-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Alice Cling”.  Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”

This is an intricately painted seedpot by Robert Kasero.  It is very thin walled and painted with an “op-art” style of rain design.  The design is small at the top and then enlarges at the shoulder and small again at the base.  It is dynamic in the flow of the tightly painted designs.  The design is a swirling cloud and rain motif.  Note how the base of the seedpot is also indented keeping in the style of historic Laguna pottery.  It is signed on the bottom.

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 tan.  The entire surface is fully etched and around the neck are four dragonflies.  They are slipped with a brown clay and then highlighted with a red clay.  Around the neck is a flower design and on the base are prayer feathers.  Surrounding all the dragonflies are additional cloud and plant motifs.  The lid is painted with a flower design on top and sculpted and fully polished!  The jar is signed on the bottom with a corn stalk, Glendora’s hallmark.

Cliff Roller is a son of noted potter Toni Roller. Each piece is coil built and stone polished.  This bowl is carved four bear paws as the designs. The bear paws are symbolic of a Pueblo story where the bear leads the people to water during a drought.  Here the bear paws are each deeply carved into the clay and polished. The remainder of the bowl is fully polished to a very high shine.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Cliff Roller”.  This bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  While these days Cliff makes very little pottery, his work remains a statement to his skill as a potter!

Debbie Clashin has become one of the exciting leaders in Hopi-Tewa pottery over the past several years.  She is known for her large-sized traditional fired vessels.  This plate is fully polished.  It is painted on the front with a larger dragonfly, several small dragonflies and a series of “dragonfly wings” extending across the surface.  It is a wonderful use of design and the space.  The plate is painted with bee-weed and a red clay slip and traditionally fired.  There are blushes across the surface of the plate.   It is signed on the back with her name and a pipe for his “Tobacco Clan”.

Rayvin Nampeyo (b. 1961) is a son of Leah Garcia Nampeyo, a grandson of Fannie Nampeyo and a great-grandson of Nampeyo of Hano. He is a brother of James Nampeyo.  This jar is a classic shape with the wide shoulder.  It has various moths painted on the top. Note how each has either different wings or different style of heads. Around the side of the jar there are classic Hopi cloud and rain designs.  The jar has blushes from the firing.  It is signed on the bottom.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Rondina Huma has certainly been one of the most influential Hopi potters working today.  Since her two-time “Best of Show” award at Santa Fe Indian Market, her tight style and intricately painted pottery has changed the face of contemporary Hopi pottery.   Each piece is coil built, fully stone polished and painted with native clays and bee-weed (black), and native fired.  This is one of her early pieces from the 1970’s.  The bowl is made from red Hopi clay and then painted with bee-weed. The bowl is fully polished on the inside and outside.  The design has two Hopi birds which are painted encircling the piece.  It is always interesting to see her early work and how it certainly evolved over time.  The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Camille “Hisi” Quotskuyva learned to make pottery from her mother, Dextra Quotskuyva, a sister of noted painter Dan Namingha and a descendant of Nampeyo of Hano, Annie Healing and Rachel Nampeyo.  She is known for her use of traditional imagery and the delicate painting of her designs.  This is one of the smaller pieces of her pottery.  It is stone polished and painted with two Nampeyo style Hopi birds on the top.  It is painted with bee-weed and a red clay slip.  Note the subtle variations in color from the firing.  It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom.

This painting by Les Namingha is entitled, “Polychrome II (Dextra Series)”.  It is one of a series of acrylic paintings on canvas he made which explore both his pottery and that of his aunt, Dextra Quotskuyva.  I asked Les if he had any other paintings around and he brought in two pieces he had from the Dextra Series.  The painting is highly detailed with a top view of a piece of pottery, painted with classic design called “Prayer for Rain”.  The various colors depict both his work and Dextra’s.  Interestingly, in the center is a map of where he did his first show with Dextra, at Marti Struever’s gallery in Chicago!  What a great piece of history on so many levels!  It is signed on the front.

“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.”

This painting by Les Namingha is entitled, “Polyphonic Starburst”.  It is part of his “Urban Polychrome series. The painting is on board and it is framed.  The painting is a dynamic overlay of various textures. The various layers and the depth of the painting gives the piece subtle shadows.  The linear patterns can be seen in the background while there is the migration pattern blue line and then the Hopi birds layered on top of one another.  The various colors add to the impact, as they become more vibrant as one moves to the surface.  It captures the strength of Les’s designs and the layering techniques. I included a close up view of one section to show the texture of the piece.  Les says of the Urban Polychrome series:

“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.”

This is a very intricately designed bowl by Russell Sanchez.  The rim is polished with mica to create a very high sheen.  The sides are etched with a classic triangular cloud design.  The “op-art” appearance of the row and angles of the design on a round surface are striking.  As well, the highly polished surface add to the impact of the light reflecting off the sides of the bowl.  There are two medallions, each highly polished.  They are each incised (before firing!) with two very intricately designed San Ildefonso birds. Note the use of the same triangular design in both of the birds!  The medallions are surrounded by two bands of hematite hei-shi beads.  They are nearly silver in coloration and complement the metallic appearance of the bowl after the firing.  It has a 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 bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, ‘Russell”.

Click here to read: Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

Jennifer Moquino is known for her clay vessels and realistic sgraffito designs.  This jar has a Western Tanager on one side and a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly on the other.  There is wonderful detail on both sides!  Separating them are two sections of flowers.  The jar itself is highly polished and fired black.  All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips.  Jennifer continues to be one of the leading innovative potters working today!

This jar by Eric Lewis has a round shoulder water jar shape.  The jar has a hummingbird as the central design.  As the jar is turned there are strong linear graphics creating cloud and wind designs.  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!

Sandra Victorino is  a niece of noted potter Dorothy Torivio.    Sandra has her own unique style of “op-art”, where the patterns start small, then get larger and then smaller again on the vessel.  This jar is a taller shape with a slight neck.  The jar an “op-art” style of triangular geometric around the neck.  Around the shoulder are a series of plant designs.  As the design extends downward there are spiraling plant and butterfly designs.  It is a visually striking jar with complex imagery and an exceptional connection of form and design.  The intricacy of the designs and the use of the op-art imagery adds to the sophistication of the jar!  The jar is signed on the bottom.

Myron Sarracino is one of the few Laguna potters working today.  He learned to make pottery from Gladys Paquin and creates pieces which are thin walled and tightly painted. This jar has a high shoulder and a more classic “olla” shape. The design has a cloud pattern painted in red.  Below is a mesa pattern in black and below that a river design.  The water pattern has a series of fine-lines painted into the clay.  The jar is a nice balance of form and design.  Note on the rim that there is a  painted “spirit line”, which is where the “spirit” of the painter is able to leave the piece and it is also a tribute to the potters who came before.  It is seen on much older Acoma and Laguna pottery.  The jar is signed on the bottom.

This  bowl by Effie Garcia is combines her deep carving with etched designs by her husband.  The bowl has a deeply carved heartline bear as the main design.  Around the remainder of the piece there are etched bear paws as the design.  The bear is a symbol for strength and good luck as are the bear paws.  The high polish and angle from the shoulder make this a distinctive bowl. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.