Charles Lewis (b. 1972) is a grandson of Toni Roller and a son of Susan Roller.  He is a great-grandson of Margaret Tafoya.  While he no longer makes pottery, his pieces from the late 1990’s were beautifully made, carved and polished. This bowl is carved with a feather pattern around the sides.  Note the shape of the bottom of the feathers, which are slightly rounded.  That form is very reminiscent of Toni’s style of carving.  This piece is fired a deep red and it was outdoor traditionally fired.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Charles Lewis” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This water jar by Virginia Garcia is a classic shape for Santa Clara pottery.  The jar has a sharp shoulder which dips down slightly and then extends up towards the neck.  The piece is highly polished and fired a black coloration.  Virginia is a sister of noted potters Tina Garcia and Greg Garcia.   While Virginia is no longer making pottery, this is certainly an outstanding example of her skill.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, ‘Virginia Garcia”.

This small jar by Alice Cling has a round shoulder and an elongated neck.  It is the shape of the neck which has been squared off so that it is flat on the sides.  The jar is then traditionally fired to create the coloration.  Note how the fireclouds swirl around the jar creating areas of dark black to 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.  The jar 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 a large jar by Debbie Clashin.  It is inspired by the classic Sikyatki style pottery with a wide shoulder and a slight neck.  Around the jar are dragonfly designs.  Dragonflies are symbolic prayer messengers.  Note the extension downward of the cloud designs in two sections. They rise up to the painted band around the neck which has more cloud and rain motifs.  The jar is painted with bee-weed and natural clay slips.  It was traditionally fired with blushes across the surface of the jar.  Debbie is a cousin of noted potter Mark Tahbo and a descendant of Grace Chapella.  Debbie has quickly become well known for her large-sized traditional Hopi-Tewa pottery.   It is signed on the bottom with her name and a pipe for his “Tobacco Clan”.

Randy Nahohai was known for his innovative Zuni pottery.  This is one of his classic thin-walled vessels.  The jar shape is inspired by historic Zuni pottery with a high shoulder and slight neck.  The jar is slipped with mica and painted with natural clay paints.  The design consists of five dragonflies encircling the piece.  Dragonflies are often represented as carrying prayers to heaven or the stars in Zuni culture.  Above the dragonflies are triangular designs which represent clouds.  The jar is beautifully painted with various clays for coloration.  It is signed on the bottom, “R. Nahohai” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is owl figure is painted by Jamie Peynetsa and made by his mother, Avelia Peynetsa.  The owl is a classically shaped figure for Zuni pottery.  The piece is charming with a round body with extended beak, tail, and wings.  The piece is fully painted with the feathers.  There is a rainbird design on the back of the head.  In Zuni culture, the owl is the protector of the home and the keeper of the night. He is able to see what others cannot see and is thought to be very observant and perceptive. He is thought to have true wisdom and patience.  Jamie has signed the owl on the bottom.

Georgia Dewakuku Koopee is the mother of noted Hopi-Tewa potter Jacob Koopee.  She is a daughter of George and Angelisa Dewakuku and a niece of Garnet Pavatea and Myrtle Young.  Her sister Kathleen Dewakuku is also a well-known potter.  Georgia has not made a lot of pottery and this large open bowl is one of the few of hers I’ve seen. The bowl is coil built and painted with bee-weed and red clay slips. The inside of the bowl has a very intricately designed Longhair Mana Katsina.  The outer side of the bowl is painted with traditional rain and cloud imagery.  The bowl is signed on the bottom, “Georgia Koopee”.  It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It does have some fugitive black on the outside but it is in great condition on the inside.  Why does the black become fugitive? It is often the result of how it is painted onto the piece before it is fired and if it is painted on too thick it will come off after the firing.  It’s not “wear” it’s just that the bee-weed black didn’t adhere to the surface of the clay.

This is an intricately painted lidded jar by Dolores Curran.  Before she began making her carved pieces, she was well known for her delicately painted buff-on-red pottery.  The jar is highly polished red and painted with a buff clay for the design.  Amazingly, she would paint each piece up to five times to get the color of the matte painted areas deep and consistent enough!  This jar has a feather pattern around the top of the shoulder.  There are two smaller sections with cloud patterns. Below the shoulder, the jar is fully painted with tablita, cloud and water serpent designs.  At the very base of the bowl are two prayer feathers.  The lid is a bear with a painted heartline.  Look at how perfect the lines are!  So why doesn’t Dolores make this style anymore? She ran out of the cream-colored clay slip for the painting, and so only uses it as an accent on her new work!  As well, this is a larger sized piece of her painted pottery, as she mostly made miniatures due to the time consuming nature of the painting. The jar is signed on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is an extraordinary larger jar by Nancy Youngblood. The shape is one which has become iconic for her pottery and especially the melon ribs.  The straight sides show off all the curves for the “s” swirl.  Amazingly, there are SIX times the ribs go back and forth on this jar!  These are the wide ribs but are carved at an angle with a sharp edge which creates a strong surface for the reflection of light.  Nancy said of this style of her work:

“I’ve had problems that if I carve it too thin, it will break. I’ve had that happen so many times. I get to the end and I’m carving the single ribs and it has an air pocket in it. You wet it with slip and then when you touch it, with the first stroke of the stone, the clay falls off. There’s nothing you can do. It’s a loss. See here how the S is carved so deeply that the light plays off it so that it almost glows.”  Nancy Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay

Each of the 16 ribs perfectly reflects the light.  Added to the complexity of the jar is the lid.  The ribs not only extend down the side, but over the top and down onto the base of the lid!  There is a kinetic motion to them on this piece which may simply be the play of the light adding to the highly polished surface.  Thee matte area on the top of the lid is perfectly sanded smooth.  This is important so there are no shadows cast from an uneven surface.  In addition to the depth of carving on this jar, consider that each rib has two “sides”to be polished and the surface area of the piece is about double its size!  The lid and jar are signed on the bottom in the clay.    Nancy has won numerous awards, from “Best of Pottery” to “Best of Show” at Santa Fe Indian Market for her melon bowls.  This is undoubtedly a classic of her clay art!

Grace Medicine Flower began her career making miniature pottery with incised designs.  This bowl is from 1990 and it is a significant piece as it is part of the period when she began to make larger vessels with smaller incised areas.  She went back to the early work of her father, Camilio Tafoya, and began to carve her pottery. The entire surface is fully polished.  She also began to carve the rim of her vessels, which is technically very difficult, as it can break in the drying or polishing stage.  This bowl has some very deeply carved sections which extend down from the rim.  There are large central medallions on both sides, each with a hummingbird.  One one side there are four additional smaller medallions with hummingbirds and butterflies.  Grace said about her use of hummingbirds:

“We have a lot of hummingbirds by our house. Who knows about a hummingbird on a piece of pottery? They are so tiny and so little. Looking at the hummingbirds and flowers or the squirrels like we have next door. Maybe even that you can put on a piece of pottery. Anything that comes to your mind that you might think would look good on the pottery is fine.”  Grace Medicine Flower, Spoken Through Clay

The bowl is very highly polished and fired a deep red. The inside is slipped with a mica clay slip.  Interestingly, Grace did all of her etching in the clay before the pieces were fired, which added to their overall difficulty.  The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.   It is large, elegant and stunning!

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Grace Medicine Flower began her career making miniature pottery with incised designs.   This jar is from 2004 and is one of her amazing polychrome pieces. The distinctive aspect of her polychrome pottery is that she utilized all possible Pueblo techniques:  carving, incising, sgraffito.  They also incorporate mica, polished and matte clay surfaces.  In terms of the carving, there are multiple levels to the carving. Note how the butterflies on one side are carved to appear to be above the green plant designs behind them! As the jar is turned there are cloud, lightning and prayer feather designs. They are slipped in various colors or stone polished.  Note the depth of the carving on the jar!  Grace also slipped the inside with red clay and created an additional design near the base of the bowl.  The rim of the jar is also carved to create additional angles to give the jar a more modern appearance.  Grace said she was always trying to change the rim shape on her pottery and sometimes they would work and sometimes they would break when she carved when the clay was too dry.   Grace said of this style of her work:

“I don’t know how I even started this. This was a new idea to start carving the rim and into the bowl. I was thinking, what would be so different to change her in a way that would be unique. I started cutting areas out, and the more I started the more ideas that came. Have patience, enjoy what you are doing, and really, really talk to the Clay Lady. Like my dad said, prayers and patience.  ”  Grace Medicine Flower, Spoken Through Clay

All the various colors are from natural clay slips.  The technical difficulty in carving this piece makes it a bit surprising that it didn’t crack in drying or firing. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.  While Grace is no longer making pottery, this is certainly a reflection of the creativity and originality of her work!

Grace Medicine Flower remains renown for her innovative and creative pottery.  This is one of her dynamic “basket weave” pieces.  She only made the basket-weave pieces for a few years before moving on to the polychrome pottery.   The concept behind these pieces was for them to appear as if the clay had fallen away and there was a woven basket underneath. The basket areas are carved vertically, incised horizontally and then painted with a clay slip.  This piece has two large polished medallions.  Each is incised with butterflies.  Below one there is another matte medallion with a butterfly and a flute player carved in relief.  Below the smaller medallion are two mica slipped medallions with butterflies.  Take a closer look at the jar and note the overall variations of the depth of carving.  There are at least four distinctive levels! Interestingly, Grace does all the carving, polishing, etching and painted slip on the basket designs before the piece is fired.  It is extraordinary how much time is involved in each piece of her pottery.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This jar is part of a new series of pieces by Les Namingha.  This, “Pueblo Series” is focused on universal design similarities among various Pueblo pottery. As Les is both Zuni and Hopi-Tewa, he has a lot of cultural imagery to pull from for this body of work.  Les says of this piece:

“This jar is part of my “Pueblo Jar series” that I started recently. This series interprets or incorporates elements from other Pueblos outside of my Zuni and Tewa-Hopi influenced work.  My focus is on finding similarities in design elements across all Pueblo communities.  Here there are two Zia style birds.  There are similar styles of birds seen at Zuni, Acoma, Laguna and in ancient pottery.”

The jar has a round body and a short neck.  The jar has striking colorations and there are birds painted on each side in medallions.  They are additionally designed with different imagery on for the bodies.  One the sides and encircling the jar are large yellow ellipses.  These bold geometrics accentuate the detailed designs on the remainder of the jar.  It is signed on the bottom.  The last photo is one of this jar next to a piece by Elizabeth Medina. It seemed interesting to show the style of birds from Zia in comparison to this jar.

Jennifer Moquino is known for her clay vessels and exceptional realistic animals.  This is one of her smaller tiles.  It is fully polished and etched.  The piece has a Pueblo girl and butterflies.  The girl is designed in an “anime” style.  As figurative work on pottery is often discouraged at some of the Pueblos, this style of figure is less realistic and more imaginary.  The young girl here is surrounded by butterflies. Each one is a different style of butterfly.  The border on the side has a cloud and rain motif.  It is a contemporary and creative piece!  The tile is framed so that it can be mounted on a wall.  It is signed on the side.  Jennifer continues to be one of the leading innovative potters working today!

Diane Lewis is known for her tightly painted miniature pottery.  This is one of her very intricately painted seedpots.  The top is painted with intricate Mimbres inspired Flute Players.  Around the edge of the piece are star and mountain designs. All the colors are from natural clay slips.  It is an exciting modern interpretation of classic Acoma imagery.  It is signed on the bottom, “D. Lewis”.

This is a wide bowl by Steve Lucas.  The top and bottom are fully polished red. The center section is painted with stylized katsina masks and star patterns.  Steve said of this style of his pottery:

“I try to mix the abstract and the classic design elements on the top to show how the two could be connected. I was always interested looking at stars and finding inspiration there. Where I fire there are no street lights. I can sit at night and see everything and watch a lot of stars.  In my pottery the katsina masks are not an exact representation of them but simply have elements of them in there. I would go and watch the dances, and I liked the way the katsinas looked so I began to put them on the pottery.”  Steve Lucas, Spoken Through Clay

On this jar, it is possible to see a variety of different katsinas from a Chakwaina to Kokopelli to Ogres.  The designs are painted with bee-weed (black) and a red clay slip. The red clay is stone polished for shine and there is just a bit of mica in the clay.  The bottom of the jar is fully polished red.  The jar is traditionally fired which creates the blushes on the surface.  It is signed on the bottom with his name and an ear of corn (Corn Clan) and a Mudhead Katsina.

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 exceptional early bowl from 1977  It is very thin walled and classic bowl shape. The piece is painted with the migration pattern.  Dextra said of this design:

“This is the one design that was really stressed for us to use, the migration pattern. Nothing but lines, representing the migration of all the people to all the places, including down below and up above. It has seven points at the top and bottom. All the x’s represent life from the bottom and top, telling you the universe is one. The thin lines, I just wanted to paint them real fast and real close to try and include everyone.”  Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo, Spoken Through Clay

The bowl has deep red clay near the rim and the remainder is painted with bee-weed (black).  The lines are very thin and close, as would be expected from her pottery!  This bowl is signed on the bottom, “Dextra Quotskuyva”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Simple, elegant and a classic!

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 bowl is fully designed and painted.  Rondina said of this style of her pottery:

“This style is when I first started designing from the bottom to the top. I would get a bunch of sherds and I would put them together and see what pattern they created. Then I would take back the sherds to where I found them. I also polish the inside of all my pottery. People ask how I do it and how I can get so deep inside. I just think it makes a bowl look nicer if it is fully polished. The burgundy-colored [areas] are the water migration. It’s like a spring with the water coming up out of the earth and soaking back into the ground. It’s a full cycle, so the square has to be complete. I do most of the painting freehand. When I look at a pot, I already know what design I’m going to put on there. I can visualize what I’m going to paint, and it is never the same. I don’t really use a pencil—I’m afraid it won’t come off. I try to just measure with my hand to space out the designs.”  Rondina Huma, Spoken Through Clay

The bowl is very tightly painted with a variety of designs in each of the small squares.  They are all derived from historic Hopi-Tewa and Sikyatki pottery.  The rim of the bowl is complex with a variety of design and no patter repeated!   The tight patterns have become more and more intricate and detailed in each passing year.  Amazingly, the inside of the bowl is also fully polished!   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This is a taller miniature jar by Geri Naranjo.  She is known for her miniature pottery and intricately etched designs.  Here the entire piece is fully polished with no design.  It is in the shape of a high shoulder jar. The piece is very thinly constructed and highly polished.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Geri Naranjo”.  It is 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. This jar has a high shoulder and a more classic “olla” shape. The design has a “T” shaped could pattern painted with a red clay slip.  It is above the terraced mesa design.  Below the mesa design is a spiraling water pattern.  It has a series of fine-lines painted into the clay.  Near the base are plant designs, which are often seen on classic Laguna pottery.  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.

Al Qoyawayma calls the shape of this jar his “Slipper” pots.  He explains; “It is a shape that is ubiquitous form in pre-historic pottery in areas from Hopi south to Chile.  The figures on the slipper bowls are formed from actual Teotihuacán (Mexico) pottery stamps.  The stamps are genuine with an estimated age of 0-200 AD. The animal representation may be a jaguar or perhaps other smaller animal.  The other 3 figure relief characters I might guess as “bird men”.  I give these stamps and figures respect because of their antiquity. Also, Teotihuacan was very cosmopolitan city and pyramid complex, and is said to have many cultural enclaves, some possibly with ancestors to the Hopi.  Some linguists believe that the Teotihuacán’s spoke Uto-Aztecan, the root language of Hopi.

The slipper pot (or “shoe pots”) are an ancient ubiquitous phenomena found in Chile with the northern most extent at Hopi (and that is interesting).  Even today the shoe pots are beings made in Mexico. There are similar Hopi forms, many with a curved conical “nose” and were used for cooking…so sometimes the pots are referred to as “culinary shoe pots” (archaeologically speaking). My aunt Polingaysi (Elizabeth White) gave me a full explanation of the construction and use of these shoe pots in the 1970’s. Interestingly the pots showed up in an excavation at the village of Sikyatki by Walter Fewkes in 1895. Sikyatki likely occupied by Keres speaking (Laguna and Acoma) group who are the Coyote Clan. My ancestry is of the Coyote Clan.”

Tonita Nampeyo is a daughter of Fannie Nampeyo and a granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano.  She is known for her traditional pottery using natural clay slips and bee-weed for the black.  This bowl wide with sloping sides.  The top is painted with a red clay slip.  The sides are painted with an eagle tail design which extends towards the base.  The central square section of the design is highlighted with a red clay slip.  This is a design which was revived by Nampeyo of Hano from the Sikyatki pottery of the 1600’s.  The piece is traditionally fired for the striking color in the blushes.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom, “Tonita Nampeyo”. The corn plant signifies that she is part of the Corn Clan.

Tonita Nampeyo is a daughter of Fannie Nampeyo and a granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano.  She is known for her traditional pottery using natural clay slips and bee-weed for the black.  This jar is an elegant shape with a round shoulder and a slight neck.    The design on the jar called the “Migration pattern” and it is one that was revived by Nampeyo of Hano in the late 1800’s from ancient Sikyatki pottery.  The design is meant to tell the story of the migration of people from the third to the fourth world in Hopi legends as well as the migration of people around the world.  This jar is delicately painted and note the exceptional thin lines!  It is traditionally fired for the amazing color.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom.

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 water jar is a classic shape for Acoma pottery, with a high shoulder and short neck. There four large sections of designs extending down the sides of the jar.  They represent the four seasons of Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall.  Frederica has also painted linear bands using different colors of clay slips.  There is a larger cloud pattern which separates each “season”.  Around the top of the jar is a star pattern which can be seen when looking down from the top.  From the sides, it is also made up of numerous stars as well!  Exceptional in planning and design!   Interestingly, the entire jar is first painted black on white.  Frederica then paints all the different clay colors and then had to go back over all the black lines again one more time!  The level of complexity and time involved in 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.

This is a new traditional design inspired jar from Virgil Ortiz.  This piece is coil built, polished and painted with wild spinach for the black.  Virgil said that he was inspired by some historic Cochiti pottery recently to create this piece which has such classic imagery.  This jar has a wild spinach design around the rim. The “wild spinach” is the plant used to paint the black on the pottery.   Around the side of the jar, Virgil painted Cochiti style birds and clouds.  Both designs are often seen on historic Cochiti pottery.  The birds, of course, are somewhat modernised in Virgil’s interprertive style.  Separating the birds are cloud designs.  Virgil tried something a bit different with his painting and firing to give clouds a sense of motion. The “motion” comes through the darker areas around them creating what Virgil called, “shadow clouds”. Take a closer look and you can see it’s not just smoke clouds, but also designs created by them!  In addition to the classic imagery, Virgil has also included his signature “x”, which he uses on all his pottery.  On the neck of the jar, there is a space on the rim of the neck where it is unpainted, which is the “heartline”, which Virgil always paints on his clay vessels.  The jar is signed on the bottom.

This is a classic swirl ribbed melon bowl by Nancy Youngblood.  The bowl is coil built and each rib is deeply carved into the clay.  The depth of the carving and the symmetry of each rib is exceptional. This is certainly one of the enduring aspects of her incredible artistry.  Each rib is then polished with a stone to achieve the shine.  The bowl is from 1984 and note the sharp edge to each rib.  This is much more time consuming and difficult than if they are rounded.  The sharp edges easily chip during the carving and polishing stages.  Nancy said of this style of her carving:

“It’s more challenging to make a more pointed shaped shoulder than a simple rounded bowl. You have to flip them over when you are polishing and holding them at an angle. It’s not just one surface to polish but each side of every rib. They are all hard to do. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.”  Nancy Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay

As you consider that each rib has two sides and how much surface area there is for this piece!  The ribs are also very deeply carved into the clay and almost come to a point at the edge! Check out the image looking down on the bowl to see the depth and symmetry of this piece.  Nancy says she can only polish three ribs in one sitting as they are so time-consuming.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed, “Nancy Youngblood Cutler” and it is from 1984.  Simply an iconic piece of her pottery!

Rachel Concho (b. 1936) learned to make pottery from her mother, Santana Cerno.   She is a sister of Joseph Cerno and mother-in-law of Carolyn Lewis-Concho.  In 2000 she won Best in Show at Santa Fe Indian Market.  Her pottery is coil built and painted with bee-weed (black) and clay slips.  This seedpot has two lizards and insects on the top.  On the bottom has a fine-line star pattern along with classic Acoma rain and lightning designs.  There are accents of red clay slip.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Hubert Candelario is one of the few potters working at San Felipe Pueblo.  This is one of his melon bowls with 37 ribs!  Each rib is individually carved into the clay and start very narrowly at the neck and get larger at the shoulder and narrow to the base.  There is a beautiful symmetry that he is able to create with these pieces.  The ribs are round and slipped with a micaceous clay which gives the pieces its coloration and sparkle.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Hubert Candelario”.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This bowl is thin walled and painted with a series of flowers with red centers. The red is an additional clay slip.  The flowers spiral around the bowl and are separated by fine-line rain designs.  The bowl is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

This jar by Dora Tse-Pe is from 1991.  It is her classic highly polished surface. The jar itself is carved with an asymmetric opening.  The piece was fired a deep black and then it was two-toned to create the sienna medallion.  In the center of the medallion, there is an inset piece of turquoise.  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dora of San Ildefonso 1991”.

This is a striking carved jar by Toni Roller.  She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery.   This larger jar is a wide shape with just a slight neck.  Around the shoulder are 48 carved feathers.  Toni’s feathers are distinctive in style with the straight sides and slight curve at the base.  Over the course of her long career, it has become one of her signature carved designs due to the visual strength of the symmetry of the feathers.  Creating a piece this size with this number of feathers (at 83 years old) is remarkable.   The jar is very highly polished and fired a deep black.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Toni Roller”.  Toni has said of her traditional style of pottery:

“It’s important to start from scratch and do it the old way. People should understand how difficult the process is and why it takes so long to make pottery. If you are going to be a potter, you are not going to mind all the hard work involved in gathering the clay and the materials. It’s time-consuming, but in the end you are so happy to have this clay that just started as chunks in rock form. Then, coming out with the beautiful final pieces of pottery. How did it come about? With your hands and patience. That is such a good feeling.” Toni Roller, Spoken Through Clay

This is a striking double shoulder water jar by Jason Ebelacker.  The shape is distinctive with the wide shoulder, sloping neck and slightly turned out rim.  The movement of the shape creates numerous angles for the reflection of the light.  The wide shoulder of the jar has a second, raised shoulder or “rainbow band”.  This is technically difficult to achieve and you can even feel on the inside how the coils are pushed out to achieve the shape! The jar is very highly polished and there are two impressed bear paws as the design on either side. The paws represent the story of the bear who saved the village from a flood and they are represented on vessels which hold water.  The jar is stone polished to a high shine and then traditionally fired. The firing is always an unknown how a piece will turn out but this jar has the classic deep black coloration.  Jason is a son of noted potter Richard Ebelacker, a grandson of Virginia Ebelacker and great-grandson of Margaret Tafoya.  He has won numerous awards for his pottery and continues to be one of the younger potters to watch.  It’s great to see the continuing evolution of his work in clay.

This is an unusual dual signature jar by Tina Garcia and Greg Garcia.  Tina and Greg were brother and sister and both made traditional style pottery.  The jar is a classic water jar shape with a double shoulder.  It is most likely that Greg made the jar and then Tina polished the surface. The jar is well polished and has a high shine.  The jar was fired a deep black coloration.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tina & Greg”.

This plate by Preston Duwyenie is made from white Hopi clay found near Third Mesa at Hopi.  The entire plate is stone polished on the front and back.  He has inset a single piece of silver, which looks much a pottery shard resting in the sand.  The silver piece is from cast from cuttlefish bone.  The textured surface of the silver then has his famous “shifting sand” style of design.   The plate is signed on the back in the clay with Preston’s hallmark which is a woman carrying a child, which comes from Preston’s 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.

Max Early is one of the few traditional potters working today at Laguna Pueblo.  His work combines traditional forms with a blend of contemporary and traditional designs.  This jar is a traditional shape with a high shoulder and elongated neck. The jar has a rain pattern around the neck and a cloud design around the shoulder.  Max noted that these were “older, minimal Laguna designs”.  However, as with much of his work, the bottom area is where he created is own additional designs.  Here he said he had painted four eagles in flight over the four directional mountains.  It is beautiful imagery which complements the simplicity of the designs above. The rounded bottom harkens back to the traditional Laguna pottery when the water jars were meant to be carried on one’s head.  Note as well his use of the various clays to create a “three color” jar!   The jar is also traditionally fired, which adds to the overall difficulty of the piece.  It is certainly exciting to see a potter who is inspired by traditional shapes and designs and yet has the artistry to create his own distinctive variation!  The jar is signed on the bottom and includes a copy of his book, “Ears of Corn: Listen”.

This larger jar by Eric Lewis is a new and more complex design for his pottery.  It is a buffalo on one side and stylized birds on the opposite side.  The jar has high shoulders and a short neck.  The buffalo is wonderfully painted and a bit different from his other more linear designs.  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!

Charmae Natseway is known for her exceptionally painted pottery and use of distinctive forms. This piece is from 1980 and it is one of her very classic style seedpots. The piece is painted with three Mimbres animals. The Mimbres people lived in the Southwest and made pottery around 1100.  On this seedpot there is a bird (eating fish), a mountain lion and an antelope.  The top of the seedpot has a fineline design and plants.  Charmae is both an exceptional potter and also among the best Acoma painters.  The fine lines and precision of her imagery is always a perfect match of form and design.  The piece is signed on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Linda Tafoya-Sanchez is a granddaughter of noted potter Margaret Tafoya and a daughter of Lee & Betty Tafoya.  She is known for her intricately carved pottery.  The jar has a wide body and a fluted rim. The fluted neck undulates back and forth around the jar and it is slipped with a micaceous clay.  The body of the jar is carved with cloud, lightning, and mesa or mountain designs.  They are deeply carved into the clay.  The jar is highly polished and traditionally fired.  Interestingly, Linda was among the first Santa Clara potters to begin using the mica as a design element after she was given some by her San Juan Pueblo in-laws.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Linda Tafoya-Sanchez”.

“The clay is a really important part of making the pottery. Listening to family members talk about how they used to get clay with Grandma and Grandpa [Margaret & Alcario Tafoya] and how they would make it an all-day venture. You feel that family connection when you are digging the clay out of the earth. It ties you to your home. There’s no other place you are going to find that kind of clay. You think about how many years people have dug that clay out of the earth, how many years Mother Earth has provided that clay for us.”  Linda Tafoya-Sanchez, Spoken Through Clay

Thomas Tenorio is from the Aguilar family of Kewa Pueblo.  Amazingly, he taught himself to make pottery!  This jar is from 1997, when he first started making pottery.  The jar is coil built and carved with a cloud design around the neck and medallions around the side.  Each medallion has a bird painted as the design.  There are various colorations of clay used for the jar and the carving is deep and creates a striking appearance.  The piece is signed on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a classic straight ribbed melon bowl by Nancy Youngblood.  The bowl is coil built and each rib is deeply carved into the clay.  The depth of the carving and the symmetry of each rib is exceptional. This is certainly one of the enduring aspects of her incredible artistry.  Each rib is then polished with a stone to achieve the shine.  Although it is a small piece, consider that each rib has two sides and how much surface area there is for this piece!  The ribs are also very deeply carved into the clay and almost come to a point at the edge! Check out the image looking down on the bowl to see the depth and symmetry of this piece.  Nancy says she can only polish three ribs in one sitting as they are so time-consuming.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed, “Nancy Youngblood Cutler” and it is from 1987.  Simply an iconic piece of her pottery!

Polly Rose Folwell is known for use of classic designs on her traditional inspired Santa Clara pottery.  She learned to make pottery from her mother, Jody Folwell.   This jar is fully polished and has an asymmetric rim. It has been fired a dark reddish brown with a nearly black rim.   The design around the shoulder are etched feathers which encircle the piece.  Above and below are cloud and rain designs.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Elizabeth Medina is known for a traditional style of Zia pottery.  Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays and native fired.  This jar is painted with a large bird with a rainbow band over the top of the section.  The birds on each side are different in style.  Overhead is a polished red rainbow band which has additional cloud and rain designs.  On the sides are flowers and small hummingbirds!  They are very charming.   The jar incorporates various clay slips for the colors and some are polished and some are matte.  The contrast of the matte and polished areas creates a striking appearance. 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. Around the neck of the jar are rain and cloud patterns.  Separating the birds are intricately painted flowers with polished petals.  The jar is striking 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.

Madeline Naranjo creates beautifully carved and polished pottery.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished and traditionally fired.  The jar here is a classic shape with a wide shoulder and short neck. Around the neck are carved clouds which are matte.  Below the shoulder is a carved avanyu (water serpent), which encircles the piece.  The shoulder and the area below the avanyu are both polished.  Note how her matte sections 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 is a taller seed jar. There are four parrots deeply carved into the clay.  The bodies of each bird are matte, while the tail feathers and beak are polished.  In the center of each is a carved birdwing.  The area separating the birds is also polished.  Note 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 an exceptional jar by Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano.  Working together, they make an amazing team as they create innovative pottery using traditional techniques.  Lisa makes the pottery and it is painted by Harlan.  This jar has a tightly painted design around the neck with modernized wild spinach plant patterns around the sides and flowering motifs on the neck.  The designs on the sides are divided by a tendril or flame extension from the jar.  Harlan said that they had tried it before with two bands extruding out from the piece but the four were much more difficult.  The result, however, is a very cohesive appearance and flow of design and form.  The materials are all traditional as the red and cream are both native clays while the black is wild spinach (a plant). The jar is traditionally fired outdoors.  It is signed on the bottom.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This piece is a figurative quail or bird.  The wings on the side and the designs on the front and back are all painted with bee-weed. The colors are all from additional clay slips.  The bird is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

Gaylon Westika is the son of noted potters Anderson and Avelia Peynetsa.  Each piece is coil built and painted with classic Zuni imagery.  This is a smaller duck figure.  The duck has two feathers on the head and rainbirds painted on the body.  At the back of the duck is a dragonfly.  Dragonflies are significant as prayer messengers. The body of the piece is a darker red and the eyes are the more orange-red clay.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Gaylon says of his art:

“I work hard to develop pottery that speaks both to me and others about the beauty that exists here in Zuni. With the completion of each piece, I believe the breath of my ancestors live on, reminding us of the Zuni culture, traditional design and lifestyle we strive to preserve.” Gaylon Westika

Agnes Peynetsa (b. 1962) began making pottery in 1984.  She is the daughter of Charles and Wilma Peynetsa, wife of Berdel Soseech.  She is the sister of Priscilla Peynetsa and Anderson Peynetsa.  Agnes learned pottery making from Jennie Laate and her brother and sister. This jar is coil built and slipped with the red clay on the surface.  It has heartline deer encircling the piece.  The heartline deer is a classic image in Zuni pottery, with the heart representing the strength and spirit of the animal. The neck of the jar has a cloud pattern.  Note the use of the red clay on top of the black to create the heartline!  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “A. A. Peynetsa”.

Titus Davis is the son of noted potter Darla Davis and a brother-in-law of Eric Lewis.  He creates hand-built pottery that combines the classic fine-line designs with a modern approach.  This miniature seedpot has a fineline design around the sides.  The top has a feather pattern pained with a red clay slip.  Although it is small, it is tighly painted.  It is signed on the bottom.

This jar by Alice Cling has a round shoulder and an elongated neck.  The jar is highly polished and then traditionally fired to create the coloration.  Note how the fireclouds swirl around the jar creating areas of dark black to 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.  The jar 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 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

Toni Roller is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery.  She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and has developed her own distinctive style yet adhering to the traditional methods and techniques of her mother.  This bowl is from 1985 and it is a carved melon bowl with 16 ribs. Each rib is evenly spaced and carved into the clay.  The entire surface is fully polished to a high shine. It was traditionally fired and it is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Toni Roller”.

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 jar is a classic olla shape with a high shoulder and a long neck.  Frederica has painted the Four Seasons in the black-and-white sections of the ajr.  Separating them are four bands of color, representing the four directions.  The neck is very intricately designed with a series of rectangles in color and triangles in black-and-white.  The neck represents the fall leaves.  The coloration is not only complex for painting various colors, but also that after she has painted each color, she has to go over the edges to repaint the black!  It is amazing how time consuming this can be in for her pottery art!  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.

This is an important figurative work by Virgil Ortiz.  It is thematically based on the historic Monos figures from Cochiti Pueblo which began in the 1880’s.  However, more importantly, it is part of his “Saints and Sinners” series from 2005.  This was the first major show the gallery did with him and the first where he began the process towards his now famous Pueblo Revolt series.  Virgil said of his series in the book, “Revolt”:

“One of the first series Ortiz created as he began to explore the idea of the Pueblo Revolt in his art was “Saints and Sinners” (2005). These figures brought form to various Catholic Saints. Virgil chose the particular saints for a variety of reasons, but most simply reflected the Spanish impact on Pueblo life and culture. It was this loss of Pueblo religion, one of the factors leading to the Pueblo Revolt, which gave this concept such power. As the series progressed Ortiz also believed that there needed to be a counterbalance to these saints. He decided to create a group of ‘sinners’. “You never really know who is the saint and who is the sinner in real life, or as the saying goes, ‘Every saint has a past and every sinner a future.’” Virgil Ortiz: Revlot 1680/2180 by Charles S. King

This figure is important in the series, as it was the first one when he called to tell me about how the show had changed from “Saints” to “Saints and Sinners”!  The figure was used on the gallery invitation and I also attached the inside of the invitation as the last image.  The figure is also published in the book, ‘Free Spirit”.  The figure is made with native clay and painted with wild spinach (black) and red clay slips.  The style is in his “S&M” figures which he first made around 2000.  Note the use of the sun design around the neck.  The pice feels dramatic with the upturned face.  The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery, continuing to push the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.  It is an exceptional piece and imbued with some amazing provenance and history.  This piece is signed on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Included is a copy of the book, “Free Spirit”.

This jar by Dora Tse-Pe is from 1978.  It is a classic shape which can often be seen in the work of her mother-in-law, Rose Gonzales.  The jar has a sharp shouler and an elongated neck.  It is carved with a swirl cloud or water pattern around the shoulder.  The rim is sienna while the remainder of the jar is a dark black from the firing. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dora Tse-Pe, 1978”.

This is a classic water jar by Samuel Manymules.  It is coil built and slipped with a red clay and then traditionally fired.  The jar neck which is fully polished.  The lower section has melon ribs which are pushed out into the clay.  The ribs are wide and sharp, narrowing down from the shoulder to the base.  There is an indented ridge where the neck ends and the melon ribs begin.  The entire jar is fully polished and traditionally fired to create the coloration.  It is how Samuel places the jar in the firing and the smoke which determine how the colors will range from black to red.  The color changes as the jar is turned.  After the firing the jar is the covered with pine pitch in the traditional way expected of Navajo pottery.  It is extraordinary vessels like this which keep Samuel among the top Navajo potters working today.

Frederica Antonio is renown for her intricately painted pottery.  This jar has a striking shape with the high shoulder and small neck.  Each piece is coil built and then finely painted. The background design is a cloud pattern, which is painted with a series of fine vertical and horizontal lines which are then filled in to create larger images in the squares.  This jar has “rainbow bands” which extend down from the neck and are painted with red and tan colored clays. Half way down the jar the color is a brown clay which is the earth.  Check out the very tightly painted squares on this jar!  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.

Adelle Nampeyo is known for her stylistic use of traditional Hopi designs.  This jar has a migration pattern encircling the shoulder of the piece.  Note how she has used the lines for the migration pattern above the shoulder and the bird wings below.  The design is painted with bee-weed (black) and a red clay.  The migration design is a classic Hopi-Tewa pattern revived by Nampeyo of Hano and tells the story of the migration of the people around the world.  The jar is traditionally fired to create the coloration on the surface of the jar.  The coloration works beautifully with this piece with shades from white to orange.  It is signed on the bottom.

Tammy Garcia is known for her contemporary designs and use of traditional clay. This jar was made in 2000.  It is a striking shape with with a round body and small neck.  The design is a series of six butterflies encircling the jar.  They are slipped with a brown polished clay and the heads are matte red.  Near the base of the jar are flowers and Tammy has creatively used the angular melon ribs to represent the air, clouds and paths of the butterflies!  The piece has an elegance of form and flow of design in every direction it is turned.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Tammy has won numerous awards for her pottery for nearly the past 30 years.  Her creative work in clay, glass and bronze is found in museums worldwide.  It is exciting to see how her contemporary work continues to move Pueblo pottery forward with it innovations.

Preston Duwyenie is renown for his elegant pottery which is often highlighted with silver medallions.  This seedpot is made from micaceous clay and fired black.  The sparkle on the surface comes from the mica clay slip.  The lid is designed in the shape of a crescent moon.  It is cast from cuttlefish bone so there is a “shifting sand” design on both sides. Preston makes the lid to fit perfectly into the seedpot.  Both the lid and the seedpot are signed on the bottom with Preston’s hallmark.  It is a woman carrying a child on her back, which is also Preston’s Hopi name, which means “carried in beauty”.  Preston is from Third Mesa at Hopi and taught ceramics for years at Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe.  He is married to pottery Debra Duwyenie and now resides in Santa Clara Pueblo.  Preston has won numerous awards for pottery, including “Best of Show” at the Heard Indian Market.

Preston Duwyenie is renown for his elegant pottery which is often highlighted with silver medallions.  This seedpot is made from micaceous clay and fired black.  The sparkle on the surface comes from the mica clay slip.  The lid is designed in the shape of a corn plant.  It is cast from cuttlefish bone so there is a “shifting sand” design on both sides. Preston makes the lid to fit perfectly into the seedpot.  Both the lid and the seedpot are signed on the bottom with Preston’s hallmark.  It is a woman carrying a child on her back, which is also Preston’s Hopi name, which means “carried in beauty”. Preston is from Third Mesa at Hopi and taught ceramics for years at Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe.  He is married to pottery Debra Duwyenie and now resides in Santa Clara Pueblo.  Preston has won numerous awards for pottery, including “Best of Show” at the Heard Indian Market.

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 jar is a classic olla shape with a high shoulder and a long neck.  Frederica has used eight different designs on  this jar.  The patterns are painted vertically and there are square cloud pattern descending from rim to base.  Separating them are various patterns of corn, rain, snow, lighting, stars and other designs.  There are additional bands of clay slip which create the rainbow colors. The result is a piece which is varied as it is turned.  The neck is painted with a classic Acoma triangular mountain designs.  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.

Robert Cleto Nichols is known for his deep carved pottery.  Each piece is coil built, carved and stone polished.  This bowl has a large fish chasing a smaller fish.  As the bowl is turned, the body of the larger fish is made up of kiva step and melon rib designs.  Note the depth fo the carving!  The bowl is traditionally fired black and signed on the bottom in the clay.

This is seedpot by Rosemary Lonewolf is from the late 1990’s.  It is fully polished and there is an etched wolf on the top along with stars and a full moon.  On the sides are basket designs.  The contrast of the matte and polished areas accentuates her imagery.  The piece is signed on the bottom “Apple Blossom”, which is her name in Tewa.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a striking original clay piece by Roxanne Swentzell.  It is entitled “Admiration”.  It is one of the classic style pieces by Roxanne.  Here the potter is holding two of her pieces of pottery.  There is something so endearing about the look on her face as she is looking at her pottery.  The two bowls are part of the figure so this is all one piece.  It is equally remarkable that both bowls are Mimbres in styles.  This harkens back to the early Mimbres pre-historic pottery, considered some of the best and most refined ancient art in the world.  The connection of the past with this innovative artist of the present and her impact on the future certainly reads throughout this wold piece.  Note as well feet, the movement of the hands, the face, are all perfectly scuplted.  Roxanne is able to achieve such a sense of emotion in the faces of her figures!  This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  There is a monumental bronze similar in style to this piece in clay which is located at Roxanne’s studio in Pojoaque (see last photo).  This piece is from early 2000 and signed in the clay, “ROX”.

Susie Crank is a daughter of Rose Williams and a sister of Alice Cling.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished and amazingly, she says he may burnish a piece over and over as many as 15 times to get a high shine!  This water jar is an elegant shape with a sharp shoulder and short neck.  The jar is stone polished and even the inside of the neck is polished to the shoulder!  The jar is then traditionally fired to create the fire-clouds on the surface.  The colorations on this jar range from 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.  Today, the pine pitch seals the vessel and gives it the shine.  This jar has a stunning shine and a great feel to the surface!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Susie Crank”.

This is an exceptional large lidded bowl by Grace Medicine Flower.  She began her career making miniature pottery with incised designs.  This large piece is from 1985, the beginning period when she was deeply carving her pottery along with utilizing sgraffito designs.  The jar itself is deeply carved with a feathered water serpent (avanyu).  This style of avanyu was used by her father, Camilio Tafoya and also her brother, Joseph Lonewolf.  As the jar is turned there is a small feather medallion with butterflies, There is a second, larger medallion, which also has butterflies and flowers.  The lid of the jar is fully polished and also etched with butterflies. Grace said of her carved pottery:

One distinctive aspect of this piece is the additional colored clay slips which highlight the design.  There was a very brief period when she used clay slips of various colors for her pottery.  This one has white, green and blue additional colors added to the butterflies.  Grace said that Joseph Lonewolf (her brother) gave her the clay colors and then when she ran out she didn’t get any more.  The jar is highly polished and fired a deep red.  It is certainly a classic and of her few pieces at this size and with a lid!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.  Note for the signature on the base, there is an incised butterfly along with a flower extending up the side.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Mary Ester Archuleta is the second youngest daughter of Margaret Tafoya.  She has never prolific and most her pottery was made in the 1970’s and 1980’s.  This canteen is a striking piece and fully polished a deep red. There are bear paws on both sides.  The entire piece is fully polished. The bear paws represent a story of how the Pueblo people were led to water during a drought by a bear.  This particular style of canteen is one which is very reminiscent of the work of her mother, Margaret Tafoya.  The stopper is hand carved and there are leather straps.  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.

This is a striking but smaller jar by Virgil Ortiz.  The piece is coil built and painted with native clay slips and wild spinach (a plant) for the black.  The jar is painted with one of Virgi’s iconic images. It is that of Tahu, the Blind Archer, with a rose in her mouth.  The story for this image is part of the Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180 series.

“The various characters that make up the Pueblo Revolt series are all inspired by names and words in Keres and other Puebloan languages.  “Tahu” is a word used as a sign of respect for older Pueblo women.  ”  The story of the blind archers is about a young Tahu who is blinded by one of the Conquistadors during an archery contest.  Years later she becomes the leader of the Blind Archers and part of the Pueblo Revolt.  Ortiz imbues the storyline with the importance of survival, courage, hope, and determination.” Revolt 1680/2180, Charles S. King

Separating the two Tahu images are wildflowers, which curl and swirl up from the base of the jar.  Note as well the “spirit line” which is a space in the painting on the rim.   Virgil has also incorporated his signature “x”, which is the turkey track, onto the jar. The piece is signed on the bottom.  It is from 2013 and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.   The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay. His work can be found in museums worldwide, including the Fondation Cartier in Paris, the Heard Museum, the Denver Art Museum and more.

This is a colorful and striking jar by Frederica Antonio.  She has won numerous awards for renown for her intricately painted pottery.  The shape of this jar with the low shoulder and tall sides shows off the complex designs.  On two sides it is painted with a four-color rug pattern.  Each of the various clay colors are painted onto the piece and then the black bee-weed is painted over the edges a second time to create a stronger visual delineation.  There is definitely a lot of time and patience in painting this jar.  Separating the two colorful sections are two sections with snow designs.  To create these patterns she paints the vertical lines first, then the horizonatal and then fills in the squares to create 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.

This is an exceptionally designed bowl by Russell Sanchez.  His recent work is a modern take on historic San Ildefonso pottery.  The sound shape of the bowl is perfect for both the etched designs and the bear lid, with a graceful flow of form. The lower half of the bowl is fully polished with a black micaceous clay slip and then etched with a sun design.  The sun design in one that was a pattern often seen in the work of Tonita Royal. Note how the design is further highlighted with a matte red clay slip, which is applied before the bowl was fired!  However, it is the space from the shoulder to the neck which is the visually dynamic part of this bowl. Russell has etched a series of squares which alternate from a deep polished to matte.  The square spiral in towards the mouth of the bowl and each row is separated by a band of shell hei-shi beads.  The checkerboard pattern is a cornrow design, with the small dots representing the corn kernels.  The bear lid is also polished black and the small dots on the edge of the lid are a visual repetition of the dots on in the design on the bowl.  The shape of the bear is very sculptural and the elongated head seems to perfectly match the wide shape of the jar.  Of course, the final touch is the inside of the bear is slipped red!  Wow!  A lot going on in one piece, that seems simple but there is a dynamic complexity inherent in the piece.  The piece was traditionally fired outside and it is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Simply perfect!

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

This seedpot by Gloria Garcia is fully polished and fired black. The top is fully designed with a prancing fawn in the older “two-dimensional” style of Santa Clara paintings.  The fawn is surrounded by flowers.  Gloria’s combination of polishing and etched designs is always striking.  This piece is signed on the bottom with her Tewa name “GoldenRod”.

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 bowl from the 1970’s.  It is thinly walled and a simple design.  The bowl is painted with a cloud pattern at the bottom and linear rain and lightning designs.  This bowl is signed on the bottom, “Dextra Quotskuyva (Nampeyo)”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  A fascinating jar with an equally interesting design!

Tonita Nampeyo is a daughter of Fannie Nampeyo and a granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano.  She is known for her traditional pottery using natural clay slips and bee-weed for the black.  This large jar is an elegant shape with a low shoulder and a slightly turned out rim.  The design on the jar called the “Migration pattern” and it is one that was revived by Nampeyo of Hano in the late 1800’s from ancient Sikyatki pottery.  The design is meant to tell the story of the migration of people from the third to the fourth world in Hopi legends as well as the migration of people around the world.  This jar is delicately painted and note the exceptional thin lines!  It is traditionally fired for the amazing color.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom.

Rainy Naha is well known for her creative and intricately designed pottery.  This jar is a new design for her and it is inspired by the Awatovi murals.   Awatovi was a Hopi village from around 1300 to 1700.  In the 1930’s J. O. Brew of the Peabody Museum conducted extensive archeological excavations at Awatovi.  Most of the murals were actually removed and are now at the Peabody Museum.  The last image is one of the actual murals.  Rainy Naha has depicted two of the katsina figures on the murals on this jar.  One side has one of the Hero Twins with the rainbow over the back of the figure. The other side has a figure holding a parrot with prayer sticks and another parrot off to the side.  Both are very intricate and complex designed pieces!   They are painted much as depicted in the murals and some of her own stylized designs.  They are intricately painted and all the various colors are from natural clay slips.  Separating the two figures are bands of Hopi-Tewa designs.  Each of the squares has a different design from classic Hopi-Tewa pottery.  So why the Awatovi designs? Rainy’s mother, Helen “Feather Woman” Naha, lived on a ranch in the Jeddito Valley, below the Awatovi Ruins and Helen was the first revivalist of their black and white pottery.  Rainy has continued this revival with her innovative designs.  The jar is painted with vairous clay slips along with bee-weed, which is the black.  It was traditionally fired and it is signed on the bottom with a feather and “Rainy”.  Rainy has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Market and her work continues to be a creative inspiration in Hopi-Tewa pottery.