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 an Aholi katsina, while the other one Rainy said she was uncertain who it depicted. 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 a band 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 various clay slips along with bee-weed, which is 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.

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 jar is a classic shape with a wide shape and short neck. The design has two birds circling the jar.  Separating them are two bird tails.  The bodies of the birds are painted with a burgundy red clay slip and a polished red.  The black is bee-weed, a plant.  The lines of the jar are finely painted and there is a striking contrast to the matte and polished surfaces.  The jar is traditionally fired with blushes across the surface of the piece.   It is signed on the bottom with her name and a pipe for his “Tobacco Clan”.

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 large jar is a wide shape and a slightly turned out neck.  The entire piece is stone polished and then it is painted with bee-weed and natural clay slips.  The neck is painted with a burgundy red clay slip.  Extending downward from the neck is an eagle tail design.  The lines are tightly painted and perfectly fit the shape of the jar.  This is a classic Hopi-Tewa design revived by Nampeyo of Hano.  The delicate line and the dark color of the red around the jar make it a very striking piece!  The jar is traditionally fired with blushes across the surface of the piece.   It is signed on the bottom with her name and a pipe for his “Tobacco Clan”.

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 and around the shoulder are very tiny etched feathers.  No, I was not able to count them all!  But check out how close they are to each other!  Below the feathers is a water serpent (avanyu), which encircles the piece.  The body of the avanyu has cloud and rain designs.  The remainder of the jar is very highly polished.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Forrest Naranjo is a grandson of Rose Naranjo and a son of Bernice Naranjo.  He learned to make pottery from his mother.  This bowl is coil built, stone polished and traditionally fired brown and then etched with designs.  This bowl has an asymmetric rim and the designs are etched into the clay around the top of the jar.  The design is an interesting story of the birth and various stages of the dragonfly.  The various stages of the larvae and then the dragonfly itself can be seen!  The style of his etching is modern yet pulls from traditional Pueblo designs. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

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 jar has a taller shape with a slight shoulder. There are a series of moon phases as the design with larger moon designs changing into smaller ones.  They are surrounded by a fine-line pattern.  The intricately painted lines and the open space give the jar a very modern appearance.  The shape and designs work perfectly together.  It is signed on the bottom.

Joy Cain (bl 1947) is a daughter of Mary Cain and a sister of noted potters Tina Diaz, Linda Cain, and Billy Cain.  She began making pottery in 1965 but makes almost no pottery today.   This bowl is very round in shape and very deeply carved.  It has a cloud and lightning pattern encircling the bowl.  The surface is fully polished and it is a dark black coloration.  The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Joy Cain”.

Elizabeth Manygoats is a daughter of noted potter Betty Manygoats.  She is known for her folk-art style pottery with figures in relief or applique on the surface. Elizabeth says that she often emphasizes Navajo women and their daily lives in her work because “They’re the ones I look up to.”  This jar is very thin walled and has a flat shoulder and straight neck.  There is a lot going on around the jar and it is both clever and charming. There is a Navajo girl reading a book.  Behind her is a subtle mesa and she is surrounded by a chicken and sheep (in relief).  As the jar is turned, there is horse applique figure which is tied to a tree with a string.  There is then a row of corn, clouds, and a small wagon.  Finally, there is a classic Navajo hogan and sitting out front is a dog.  The various colors are added to highlight the imagery.  The jar is traditionally fired to create the variations in color to the clay surface.  After the firing the entire piece is covered in pine pitch in the manner of traditional Navajo pottery.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “EM.”  Elizabeth has won numerous awards for her pottery over the years.  It can also be found in museums throughout the southwest.

Why the horned lizard?  “In the Diné culture Horned Toad is addressed as “grandpa” (shicheii). It possesses spiritual power. When you see one, pick it up and rub it on your chest and say, “I will be in good health and harmony.” If you have corn pollen sprinkle it as an offering and then let the horned lizard loose where you found it. You will then have good health and harmony. It is believed that the horned toad is dressed with an armored shield, which is called arrowhead. The spiky horns on the body represent the arrowheads. This protects the horned toad from predators. It was placed on earth with songs and prayers so that in the future the Diné would utilize it. The Diné still know and use its sacred prayers and songs for protection.”  Traditional Dine Teachings on Wildlife (1998)

Christine McHorse is well known for her sculptural pottery.  Each piece is coil built and has very thin walls.  This lidded bowl is from 1993.  The bowl itself is very thin walled.  There is a triangular mountain design which is very lightly etched into the clay around the shoulder.  Note the very thin lines!  The lid has a wold and buffalo as a sculpture.  The area around the animals is also etched with very fine lines.  The piece was traditionally fired to create the coloration and then it was covered in pine pitch, which is typical of traditional Navajo pottery.   There is a simplicity to the form and yet a complexity to the animals and the designs.  The bowl received a Blue Ribbon (1st Place) at the 1993 Museum of Northern Arizona Navajo Show. The ribbon is signed by Jack Beasley.  The piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Both the lid and the bowl are signed on the bottom in the clay.   Today Christine is creating more sculptural works with her pottery currently in the “Dark Light” exhibit which has traveled nationally.

Betty Manygoats is known for distinctive Dine (Navajo) pottery with it’s “folk art” feel to the designs.  Around 1978 she began using the horned lizard as a design on her pottery.  The scales on the lizards are created using a bobby pin!  This is one of her classic open bowls with the horned lizards on the inside.  There are 18 horned lizards, each one seeming to scale the sides of the vessel!  The piece has been traditionally fired and there are some beautiful color variations from the heat of the fire!  After the vase is fired, it is covered in pine pitch in the manner of traditional Navajo pottery.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “BM.”  Betty has won numerous awards for her pottery over the years.  It can also be found in museums throughout the southwest.

Why the horned lizard?  “In the Diné culture Horned Toad is addressed as “grandpa” (shicheii). It possesses spiritual power. When you see one, pick it up and rub it on your chest and say, “I will be in good health and harmony.” If you have corn pollen sprinkle it as an offering and then let the horned lizard loose where you found it. You will then have good health and harmony. It is believed that the horned toad is dressed with an armored shield, which is called arrowhead. The spiky horns on the body represent the arrowheads. This protects the horned toad from predators. It was placed on earth with songs and prayers so that in the future the Diné would utilize it. The Diné still know and use its sacred prayers and songs for protection.”  Traditional Dine Teachings on Wildlife (1998)

This jar by Alice Cling has a high, round shoulder and square neck. The sides of the neck have 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.”

Carolyn is well known for her beautifully painted pottery using Mimbres style figures.  This seedpot has a Mimbres style quail and the head is in relief from the surface of the piece.  It is surrounded by very tightly painted fineline and geometric patterns. All the different colors are from natural clay slips.

Ty Moquino is a son of noted potter Jennifer Moquino.  At only 16 years old he is making some creative pottery!  This is one of his clay masks.  They are inspired by the science fiction he has read, along with being a commentary on the environment, sustainability and even imagery from Standing Rock.  This mask is “Buffalo Warrior”, which is inspired by the shape of a buffalo skull.  The respirator and horns are fully polished while the remainder of the mask is matte and slipped with mica in areas.  It is an interesting piece reflecting on the connection of the buffalo to Native culture, their extinction, and their future. Also, the inherent symbolism of a warrior in the future wearing a mask representing the buffalo.  It is a creative and thoughtful piece as part of his mask series. It is great to see new work from his young potter.  Ty won the “Best of Youth” award at the Heard Museum Indian Market in 2017 for one of his masks!  It is signed on the back.  The piece will include a metal museum mount for it to be displayed and will take about a week for delivery.

John Aragon is known for his use of Mimbres imagery on his pottery.  John learned to make pottery from his mother, Florence Aragon.  This new bowl is very tightly painted with various Mimbres insects across the entire surface!  There are insects include bees, crickets, dragonflies, caterpillars and more.  I counted over 100 different insects, and then lost track!  Each one has different fine-line designs which make up the body designs.  John has an amazing ability to fit so many images onto one piece and still have it look cohesive! The bowl is signed on the bottom.

Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano make an amazing team, working to create innovative pottery using traditional techniques.  Lisa makes the pottery and it is painted by Harlan.  This figure is amazing as it is hollow and all coil built.  The figure is basically two columns which twist up from the base and then extend out to the arms and up to the head.  The concept for these figures was from Harlan who wanted to create a series of “Pueblo Super Heroes”.  The body has a series of painted swirl and lightning designs.  The shape and movement are exceptional on this figure!   The materials are all traditional as the red and cream are both native clays while the black is wild spinach (a plant). The figure is traditionally fired outdoors.   It is signed on the bottom. 

Annie Baca is a daughter of Cesencia Tafoya and known for her miniature pottery.  This bowl is very highly polished and tightly painted.  Her works are typically three inches or smaller, which is classified as a miniature.  The design on this bowl is a water serpent (avanyu), which encircles the piece.  There are cloud designs above the avanyu.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Annie”.  The glassy shine and tight painting create a beautiful and traditional Santa Clara bowl!

Yvonne Lucas learned to make pottery from her husband, Steve Lucas and his aunt, Dextra Qutoskuyva.  She is one of the few Laguna potters who use all traditional materials and traditionally fires their pottery.  The jar is slipped with a white clay and then painted with a red clay slip and bee-weed (for the black). The design has a leaf pattern around the neck and in the central diamond-shaped medallions.  Separating the medallions are rainbow bands which are polished red.  The designs are a striking flow of round and linear patterns.  The contrast of the red and black on the white works perfectly for this size.  The jar is traditionally fired outdoors, so there are blushes on the surface creating the slightly tan areas.  The jar is thin-walled and perfectly shaped.  Yvonne focuses on the black-on-red coloration, as that was a style seen at Laguna Pueblo around 1900.  This is Yvonne’s way of paying tribute to these pieces but also giving it her own modern style.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Annie Baca is a daughter of Cesencia Tafoya and known for her miniature pottery.  This oval shaped bowl is very highly polished.  Typical of her work it is formed with a very sharp shoulder.  The designs are painted onto the polished surface.  Looking at the bowl, there are cloud, rain and lightning patterns.  The glassy shine and tight painting create a beautiful and traditional Santa Clara bowl!

Candelaria Suazo is a daughter of potters Joe and Santanita Suazo.  Her sisters include Martha Suazo (the wife of Art Cody Haungooah), Margie Naranjo, Mae Tapia and Shirley Duran.  She learned to make pottery from her mother and has been making pottery for over 20 years.  This miniature bowl is coil built and stone polished.  It is etched with a Yei figure and then two-toned to make it black and sienna in coloration.  Note the high polish and delicate etching on this piece.  It is signed on the bottom.

Adelle Nampeyo is known for her stylistic use of traditional Hopi designs.  This bowl 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 thinly painted lines.  Below the shoulder is a double band of black and red, representing the mesas.  The designs are 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.

Martha Arquero (b. 1944) learned to make pottery from her mother, Damacia Cordero.  Her sisters, Josephine Arquero, and Maria Laweka, are also well known for their traditional pottery.  This is one of her smaller figures.  It is a classic style frog with a fly on its tongue.  Cochiti is located on the river, and so frogs are often seen in their figurative pottery.  The frog is signed on the bottom with wild-spinach on the clay.  It was traditionally fired and in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  

Tammy Garcia is known for her amazing pottery, as well as the creativity of her bronzes. This bronze is carved in the style she carves in her pottery, with various depths and layers.  It is entitled, “Red Moth”.  It has a Sikyatki inspired moth as the design in relief.  Behind the moth are some of her classic Pueblo geometric designs and a leaf and vine pattern around the edge as the “frame”.  The bronze is made to hang on a wall, although it can also stand (or sit in an easel).  The piece has a striking use of patinas to enhance the coloration of the moth’s wings and the leaves in the frame.  The piece is signed on the side.  It is the 29/35 in the edition of the bronze.

Tammy Garcia is known for her amazing pottery, as well as the creativity of her bronzes. This bronze is carved in the style she carves in her pottery, with various depths and layers.  It is entitled, “Green Moth”.  It has a Sikyatki inspired moth as the design in relief.  Behind the moth are some of her classic Pueblo geometric designs and a butterfly pattern around the edge as the “frame”.  The bronze is made to hang on a wall, although it can also stand (or sit in an easel).  The piece has a striking use of patinas to enhance the coloration of the moth’s wings and the butterflies in the frame.  The piece is signed on the side.  It is the 21/35 in the edition of the bronze.

Tammy Garcia is known for her amazing pottery, as well as the creativity of her bronzes. This bronze is carved in the style she carves in her pottery, with various depths and layers.  It is entitled, “Gold Moth”.  It has a Sikyatki inspired moth as the design in relief.  Behind the moth are some of her classic Pueblo geometric designs and a leaf pattern around the edge as the “frame”.  The bronze is made to hang on a wall, although it can also stand (or sit in an easel).  The piece has a striking use of patinas to enhance the coloration of the moth’s wings and the plants in the frame.  The piece is signed on the side.  It is the 19/35 in the edition of the bronze.

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 jar has a low shoulder and an elongated neck.  There are bands of fine-line rain patterns which encircle the piece.  Note how there are additional curved lines within the straight lines, adding another dimension to the jar.  The shape and designs work perfectly together.  It is signed on the bottom.

Titus Davis is the son of noted potter Darla Davis and a brother-in-law of Eric Lewis.  He creates hand-built pottery and is known for his more contemporary style.  However, this is one of his traditional Acoma canteens. The canteen has a classic bird pattern on one side and painted with native clay slips.  It is charming with the handles and the taller shape.  It’s great to see a potter who can create both traditional and contemporary styles in his pottery.  It is signed on the bottom.

This  jar by Samuel Manymules has a tall shape with a slight neck.  The melon ribs swirl down from the neck to the base.  The ribs are pushed out in the clay and there is a deep groove separating each rib.  The jar is traditionally fired and the coloration is striking!   The symmetry of each rib adds to the overall appearance of the jar.  The variation from black to red to brown give the piece a sense of motion on the surface.  The browner areas are where it was fired to a higher temperature.  After the firing the jar is 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.

This is a larger canteen by Virgil Ortiz.  The piece is coil built and painted with native clay slips and wild spinach (a plant) for the black.   The design on the front of the canteen is Tahu, the Blind Archer in her 1680 version.  The story for this imagery from the Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180 series.  Regarding Tahu, the Blind Archer, Virgil gave her the iconic line, “Don’t be blinded by your Fear”.  The last photo is one by Virgil of Tahu standing in the forest and you can see where he has taken this imagery to create the design on the canteen.  I wrote in Virgil Ortiz: Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180:

“In 2007 Ortiz began to identify and give form to characters who would populate his fictionalized version of the Pueblo Revolt: Tahu, a girl blinded by the Spanish conquistadors; Mopez, the leader of the Pueblo Runners; and the Castilians to represent the Spanish invaders. The characters who make up the Pueblo Revolt series are inspired by names and words in Keres (the indigenous language of Cochiti Pueblo) and other Puebloan languages. “Tahu” is a word used as a sign of respect for older Pueblo women. “Mopez” means “cardinal” and was the Keres name of Ortiz’s brother. “I wanted to use native language words and names to identify the characters. Part of the Revolt story had to be the actual events, but I also wanted it to tie into our language. If I could get the kids interested in history I might also be able to get them interested in our language and keep it alive.”

There are also two hummingbirds which are symbolic for Virgil’s mother, Seferina Ortiz, who taught him to make pottery.  Can you see the “spirit line” in the design? It is at the rim of the canteen.  The spirit line is a break in the painting and used on traditional Cochiti pottery.  Virgil has also incorporated his signature “x”, which is the turkey track into the designs.  The back of the canteen has a wildflower design which encircles the piece and flows onto the front.  The piece is signed on the back.  The canteen sits in a metal museum mount so show both the front and the back of the piece.  The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.

Kimberly Riley Honyumptewa is from Laguna Pueblo and married to Aaron Honyumptewa who is Hopi/Picuris. She learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law Caroline Simbolo Cine in the traditional Picuris style and using native clay from the area. Each piece is coil built and traditionally fired.  This wedding vase is a creative shape with the twisted handle and the organic flow of the spouts.  The vase has a darker coloration from the fire clouds but the mica shows through beautifully!  The vase is signed on the bottom.  Kimberly’s work continues to evolve in creating more dynamic Picuris pottery!

This piece by Anita Fields is an amazing combination of clay, cloth and articulation.  The clay “doll” has separate arms and legs which have been joined together inside the body.  They are articulated so that they actually move!  The body of the figure and the chair are  two separate pieces.  Anita has added the cloth dress onto the figure.  She says of the dress and clothing,

“Anita was influenced by traditional Osage ribbon work, clothing, and blankets. She also studied the objects and ceremonial dress of other tribes. The personal and emotional elements in these textile designs led Anita to use them symbolically in clay, translating the personality of these vestments into her work. About one of her recent series, Native American Dresses, which are coil-and slab-built installations, Anita says: “The dresses convey my attitudes toward the strength of women and how native peoples show remarkable resourcefulness and adaptability toward their environment. The clothing Indian women created shows great pride, dignity, and hope in a culture facing insurmountable odds.”  

It is an exceptional piece combining culture and clay together.   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is very creative effigy seedpot by Tammy Garcia from 2002.  It is featured in the book, “Tammy Garcia: Form without Boundaries” on page 104.  In the book it says of this piece:

“This is the perfect illustration of Garcia’s eager imagination that refuses to linger in staid notions of convention.  In this interpretation, Garcia deftly merges the Pueblo form with the European folktale of the frog prince.  She creates a witty and striking narrative of the classic fairytale by portraying her frog with eyes and prominently puckered lips.”

The piece is very deeply carved with stylized swirls and geometric water patterns, which Tammy has used throughout her career.  It is the face of the frog which is matte and sculpted into the clay.  The piece is signed on the bottom, “The Forgotten Prince, Tammy Garcia”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is always great to see such a creative piece of her work and one of the few which was published in her book!

This tall jar by Virgil Ortiz tells part of his story of the Pueblo Revolt.   The designs are from his Revolt 1680/2180 series. There are two figures representing the Castilians or Conquistadors in the series of his work.  One side has the Conquistador from 1680 and the other, the Castilian from 2180.  Separating them are wildflower tendrils of design.  Note on one side the additional triangular design as part of the imagery.  Both figures are intricately painted using wild spinach plant for the black.  There are turkey tracks which looks like an “x” near the Pueblo tendrils.  The neck of the jar has a simple traditional cloud design. The jar shape itself is elegant with the high shoulder and short neck.  The jar is made from native clay, native clay slips and wild spinach (the black).  The piece is signed on the bottom. The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.

In the book, “Revolt”, I wrote about these as follows:

In 2007 Ortiz began to identify and give form to the various characters which would populate his story of the Pueblo Revolt.  Tahu; the girl blinded by the Spanish Conquistadors, Mopez; the leader of the Runners, and the Castilians to represent the Spanish invaders.  “I have created Native Superheroes in the form of clay, photography, video and film, which allows me the freedom to express my personal interpretation of the REVOLT – The First American Revolution.  The Venutian Soldiers are futurist, herculean superheroes, over eight feet tall, who fight mainly at nighttime and possess extraordinary strength and magical powers”.  Here the Venutian Soldiers reflect the destruction of pueblos by the Spanish during their original conquest. In their future version, it is the Castilians who have destroyed their ‘world’ and the Venutian Soldiers are the embodiment of this devastation. Their environment has been destroyed through nuclear weapons causing the Venutian Soldiers to use oxygen tanks and gas masks to survive. This story is a thoughtful embodiment of a world overrun and the natural order destroyed yet survivable by the sense of “Pueblo community”.  The Venutians are lead by Tahu and Kootz to find a hospitable land and “rebuild their traditions and ways of life on ancestral sacred lands”.

This tile by Jason Garcia is part of his Corn Maiden series which feature young Pueblo women in traditional dress for the Corn Dance and placing them in a modern context.  This tile has a young Corn Maiden dancer standing in the center of Santa Clara Pueblo.  Behind her are two of the kivas and their ladders, along with the hills behind the pueblo.  Note the two water towers on the hill and the TV antennae. The antennae is a nod to “St. Claire”, the patron saint of Santa Clara Pueblo, but also televisions.  In the top corner there is a traditional raincloud, which for Jason is a connection to the polychrome pottery of artists such as Lela and Van Gutierrez.  On the back of the tile, it is titled, “Corn Maiden #30, along with hashtags #Muse and #KhaPoOwingeh (the Tewa name for Santa Clara Pueblo).   The piece is made from native clay and painted with native clay slips.  It is signed with his Tewa name, Okuu Pin, which means Turtle Mountain.

Toni Roller is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery.  A daughter of Margaret Tafoya, Toni has developed her own distinctive style and this wide shoulder bowl is one of her original forms.  It is fully polished and has four bear paws incised into the surface.  The bear paws are symbols of a Pueblo story where a bear lead the people to water during a drought.  The bowl was made in 1989 and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Rose Simpson is one of the exciting innovative potters working today.  She is a daughter of noted potter Roxanne Swentzell.  This piece brings together two strong aspects of her clay work. The geometric rectangular shapes create a stylized pueblo appearance. The small opening are much like doors and windows.  The shapes are clay and are all one piece and textured.  However, it is the clay work on her figure which is so dynamic.  Rose has found a creative way to create her figurative work, with overlapping slabs of clay.  The figures are realistic in form yet almost otherworldly or dream-like in their appearance. The various small slabs on the figure give an additional sense of movement as if the dancing figure is in motion.  It is excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Rose continues to expand her style in various museum exhibitions around the US and create new and more dynamic works in clay.  Look for her upcoming exhibition at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe.

Mary Ester Archuleta is a daughter of noted potter Margaret Tafoya.  This water jar has a round body and a slightly turned out neck.  It is fully polished red and carved around the body with a kiva step design.  The carved areas are polished tan in contrast to the red of the remainder of the jar.   The tan is the natural color of the clay and always difficult to achieve this coloration.  There is also the traditional cream-colored slip painted into the carved areas.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Mary E. Archuleta.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Mary is the second youngest daughter of Margaret Tafoya.  She married into San Juan Pueblo in the late 1960’s and created most of her pieces in the San Juan inspired style.  While she no longer makes much pottery, her work is creative and distinctive in style and coloration.

This an unusual collaborative piece by Grace Medicine Flower and her father, Camilio Tafoya.  It is from the early 1970’s and it was fired “black-and-red”.  It is a distinctive firing technique where the piece is covered before the manure is put on to turn it black.  The jar was made by Camilio and polished by Grace. She would then etch the designs into the clay before it was fired.  This piece has a lightly etched avanyu on two sides.  Separating them are two red medallions.  One has a Mudhead Clown figure and the other a Rain Dancer.  There is a striking coloration of the red against the black.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicne Flower and Camilio Tafoya”.   The jar is in excellent with no chips,cracks, restoration or repair.

Cliff Roller is a son of noted potter Toni Roller. Each piece is coil built and stone polished.  This jar has a round body and an elongated square neck. The designs are carved into the negative space of the jar.  Around the neck are a tablita and wind pattern.  Around the sides are rain and kiva bowl patterns.  The jar is deeply carved and highly polished.  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!

This is a complex wide jar by Robert Tenorio.  The jar is painted with wild spinach (black) and red and copper colored clay slips.  Around the sloping neck of the jar is a feather pattern and two sections each with two hummingbirds.  Each birds are painted in an older style and they have red and copper colored clay slips for the bodies.  Separating them are two bands of feather designs.  Note the alternating red and copper colored clay slips.  Below the shoulder is a cloud pattern and the jar has a “spirit line” or a break in the painted line around the rim.  This goes back to historic Kewa pottery when the artist would use the spirit line to release their spirit or connection from the vessel.  The inside is slipped with a mica clay slip and there is an impressed hand print on the inside!  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Robert Tenorio, Kewa”.

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 striking shape with the sharp shoulder. The designs painted on the surface swirl down from the neck to the rim.  There are four sections with a classic square shaped corn design, a symbol of prosperity. Separating them are bands of square clouds and two rainbow bands painted with two clay colors. The clay is painted over the surface of the black bee-weed lines.  The result on this jar is a striking piece which emphasizes the shape as it is turned.  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.

Adam Speckled Rock is the son of noted potters Paul Speckled Rock and Rosemary Lonewolf.  He is a grandson of Joseph Lonewolf and a great-grandson of both Severa Tafoya and Camilio Tafoya.  This tall jar is fully polished below the shoulder and matte above.  The design is a series of bluebirds in the reeds.  The design is etched into the clay and additional clay colors are added to highlight the designs. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This plate by Cavan Gonzales is a beautiful example of both his clay and painting skill.  As a form, many Pueblo potters dislike to create plates, as they break frequently while drying and firing.  Cavan is one of the few who has been making this form most of his career.  This plate is polychrome with the very oldest style of Avanyu design known.  In the center is a single inset piece of turquoise and 6 inset pieces of coral.  The pattern is a series of interlocking avanyu “tongues” which circle around the plate.  It is signed on the back in the clay.

Polly Rose Folwell is known for use of classic designs on her traditional inspired Santa Clara pottery. This jar has a wide shoulder and an elongated neck.  It is fully polished and fired brown. The rim is carved with a mountain design, which is then replicated in an incised mountain design around the neck.  There is a single bird etched into the clay.  Below the birds are the Folwell family “x’s”, which are often found on their pottery.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This small plate by Preston Duwyenie is made from white Hopi clay found near Third Mesa at Hopi.  The back of the plate is stone polished and the front is carved to have the appearance of “shifting sand”.  The sand design has an organic and natural flow to each ribbon of sand, giving the appearance of them flowing across the surface.  On this plate, each of the bands is very tightly carved against the next, which creates a very striking appearance.  I photographed the plate with a quarter turn, which shows off how each line of sand has a different shadow as the piece is turned.  The center of the plate has a single inset piece of silver which is cast from cuttlefish bone.  The textured surface of the silver is similar to that of the surface of the plate.  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.

This storage jar is one of the classic shapes by Jason Ebelacker. He is a son of Richard Ebelacker and grandson of Virginia Ebelacker.  His father and grandmother were both known for their storage jar shapes, as well as his great-grandmother, Magaret Tafoya.  Jason creates a similar form with the high shoulder and the small neck. The distinctive shape gives the jar a feeling of size and width. The jar has two bear paws impressed into the clay and they are fully polished, as is the entire surface of the jar.  The bear paws are symbolic of a Santa Clara story where a bear led the Pueblo people to water during a drought.  This jar is as much historic as it is modern in appearance.  The jar is traditionally fired black.   Jason is certainly one of the younger potters to watch!

This large jar by Samuel Manymules has a round shape which is accentuated by the vertical melon ribs.  The jar itself is coil built and slipped with a red clay and then traditionally fired.  The jar has a stone polished neck which comes to a sharp edge. Below the shoulder the melon ribs are pushed out in the clay and extend to the base of the jar.  The symmetry of each rib adds to the overall appearance of the jar.  It was traditionally fired outdoors and that has created the coloration on the surface.  The jar has areas which range from black to red and brown.  The browner areas are where it was fired to a higher temperature.  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.

This water jar includes some of the most iconic images in the work of Virgil Ortiz.  The design is taken from his Revolt 1680/2180 series. Thre are four figures representing the Pueblo Warriors from the Venutian Soldier series of his work.  It is a powerful story of the connection between man and the environment.  The figures are each intricately painted and inspired by photography work he did in 2012.  The last photos are some of his photography for the Venutian Soldier series.  While the figures are intricately painted, the space between them is left nearly blank. However, there is a turkey track which looks like an “x”, next to each of the figures, signifying their travels.  The neck of the jar has a plant and cloud design. The jar shape itself is elegant with the high shoulder and short neck.  The jar is made from native clay, native clay slips and wild spinach (the black).  The piece is signed on the bottom. The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.

In the book, “Revolt”, I wrote about these as follows:

In the summer of 2012 Ortiz premiered his “Venutian Soldiers’.   The story of the Pueblo Revolt was becoming more evolved and Ortiz was able to have fun developing more background for his characters and the events before the Revolt 2180. “I have created Native Superheroes in the form of clay, photography, video and film, which allows me the freedom to express my personal interpretation of the REVOLT – The First American Revolution.  The Venutian Soldiers are futurist, herculean superheroes, over eight feet tall, who fight mainly at nighttime and possess extraordinary strength and magical powers”.  Here the Venutian Soldiers reflect the destruction of pueblos by the Spanish during their original conquest. In their future version, it is the Castilians who have destroyed their ‘world’ and the Venutian Soldiers are the embodiment of this devastation. Their environment has been destroyed through nuclear weapons causing the Venutian Soldiers to use oxygen tanks and gas masks to survive. This story is a thoughtful embodiment of a world overrun and the natural order destroyed yet survivable by the sense of “Pueblo community”.  The Venutians are lead by Tahu and Kootz to find a hospitable land and “rebuild their traditions and ways of life on ancestral sacred lands”.

Mary Ester Archuleta is the second youngest daughter of Margaret Tafoya.  She has never made a lot of pottery, and most of it was in the 1970’s and 1980’s. A majority of her pottery was inspired by the incised San Juan style of pottery as she married into San Juan and lived there.  This bowl is a classic round shape with bear paws as the design.  It is perfectly polished and a stunning deep red color.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Mary Archuleta.”  It is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a very traditionally inspired bowl by Ida Sahmie.  It is “Father Sky” on one side and “Mother Earth” on the other.  They are designs which are often seen in sandpaintings.  Here, Ida has painted them on a stone polished bowl using natural clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black.  Father Sky is in the center with the cosmos painted on the body.  Surrounding the figure is a rainbow design.  Mother Earth is in the center with the four sacred plants and other imagery painted on the polished red surface.  The face is etched and the figure is surrounded by a rainbow pattern.  The designs are all etched and painted onto the clay surface.  The bowl was traditionally fired and it is signed on the bottom, “Ida Sahmie” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  She is a daughter-in-law of Priscilla Nampeyo and Ida 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.   The story of Father Sky and Mother Earth, and the Dine people is as follows:

“The Navajo people, the Diné, passed through three different worlds before emerging into this world, The Fourth World, or Glittering World. The Diné believe there are two classes of beings: the Earth People and the Holy People. The Holy People are believed to have the power to aid or harm the Earth People. Since Earth People of the Diné are an integral part of the universe, they must do everything they can to maintain harmony or balance on Mother Earth.  It is believed that centuries ago the Holy People taught the Diné how to live the right way and to conduct their many acts of everyday life. They were taught to live in harmony with Mother Earth, Father Sky and the many other elements such as man, animals, plants, and insects.”

This bowl by Gloria Garcia is fully polished and fired black. The design is a series of eight turtles encircling the piece.  Each one has additional designs etched into their shell.  Gloria’s combination of polishing and etched designs is always striking.  This piece is signed on the bottom with her Tewa name “GoldenRod”.

This is a striking lidded jar by Nancy Youngblood.  The jar is deeply carved with a water serpent around the body of the piece.  Note the delicate swirls and sharp edges carved into the clay to create the body of the avanyu.  Around the neck of the jar are 32 deeply carved feathers.  Each feather and the avanyu are all stone polished to create a stunning shine!  There is a sense of movement in the design as the feathers seems to swirl around the piece. The lid is a loop which is fully polished!  It is reminiscent of some of Nancy’s early work when she would create miniatures with very thin handles!  The lid fits perfectly into the neck of the jar.  The entire piece is traditionally fired to a dark black and it is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This large jar by Al Qoyawayma is stunning in his use of numerous clay slips, various levels of carving and his own innovative shape.  Al says his inspiration for his polychrome pieces is to imagine how Hopi Sikyatki pottery might have evolved without western contact. This jar has two sharp shoulders and a central band which is fully carved.  The band is designed with corn, various birds, and prayer feather patterns.  Each is slipped and polished with various clays!  The top has a stylized version inspired by the Migration pattern.  Here there are two sections which are like the historic migration design and they spiral into a larger red parrot and a green eagle. The center of the jar (which is the lid), has a star pattern and then a spiral for the galaxy.  Note the various layers of carving along with all the different colors of clay.  The amount of time to design, carve and polish this jar is extraordinary!  There are over five different clay slips used on this piece!  This piece is a striking balance of form, sculpture, color, and design!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This jar by Nathan Youngblood has a traditional storage jar shape.  The jar is carved around the center with a walking bear paw design along with a keyhole doorway design. As the jar is turned there are additional cloud designs.  The carved designs are large but striking in appearance. The top and bottom sections are fully polished to Nathan’s glass-like appearance.  Simple. Elegant.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay “Nathan Youngblood” and the hallmark of his name in Tewa.

Steve Lucas is one of the leading Hopi-Tewa potters working today.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished, painted with native clay slips and bee-weed (black) and traditionally fired.  Steve has won “Best of Show” at Santa Fe Indian Market and his work remains some of the most refined and creative.  This large jar is a stunning piece of his pottery in form and design. The jar has a flat side and it extends up to the neck.  The side is fully painted with a variety of Hopi star and cloud designs.  Along the shoulder, the jar has four sections of eagle tail designs.  The tails are slipped in red and brown. Separating them are larger panels with additional bird tail designs.  These incorporate a green clay slip in addition to the red.  The jar has both an ancient and modern appearance to the design. The tight precision painting gives the jar an impressive appearance.  The piece was traditionally fired and the last photo shows the jar when it came out of the firing!  The jar has a dynamic coloration from the firing.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “S. Lucas” and a mudhead (koyemsi) and an ear of corn (corn clan).  Spectacular!

Al Qoyawayma often creates vessels based on ancient forms.  This large jar is based on the Gila River forms which were wide and had a low, sharp shoulder.  On this jar, it is fully polished and Al has created a scene with figurative dancers which are pushed out from the inside in the clay. The jar has a procession of dancers encircling the piece.  Each is matte while the area around is polished. The last figure is a small boy and as the jar is turned, he is being chased by a jaguar!  The form and design are both humorous and charming on this piece.  It is signed on the bottom.

Autumn Borts-Medlock is known for her creative carved pottery.  As well, she has created some dynamic pieces in bronze over the past few years.  This bronze is entitled, “Pueblo Parrot”.  It is stylized in much like the thick-billed parrot, which was actually native to the New Mexico area in the past.  It also has a connection to the Ancestral Puebloan bird figures created at places such as Chaco Canyon.  The bird is carved with a feather pattern and on its back is a cloud and mountain design.  Autumn says she was inspired to create her parrots after a two-day excursion to Chaco Canyon. This piece is number 10 of 50. The colorful patinas give the piece a striking appearance.  It is signed and numbered on the bottom.

This is one of the larger pieces we have had by Linda Cain.  Linda is a daughter of Mary Cain and the mother of Tammy Garcia and Autumn Borts.  This jar is carved on one side with a jar of a similar shape which has a carved design in the center!  The center carved pattern has a cloud, bird and lightning design.  It is a carved jar on a carved jar.  The sides are deeply carved and sanded smooth. The back of the jar is fully polished red.  It is a striking and interesting piece of her potter.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Linda Cain”.

Stunning! Lois Gutierrez is one of the few potters who continues to create large storage jars.  Check out the size of this piece, as it is massive! As well, she is one of the only Pueblo potters who makes a true polychrome vessel (more than 3 clay colors).  This jar has five different natural clay colors utilized.  The neck of the jar has hummingbirds and flowers.  Each bird is separated by a cloud pattern.  Around the body of the jar are swirling birds and flowers.  Separating each of the birds is a rainbow (with 5 colors) and then a stalk of corn.  Each stalk is a different color representing the different directions (red, white, yellow and blue).  The bodies of each of the birds have a detailed cloud pattern in the center.  The jar is a beautiful combination of colors and traditional designs.  Few of her pieces have this level of complexity in the designs!  Lois’s ability to create such beautifully painted scenes with clay is remarkable in addition to her portrayal of a cultural legacy in design in clay.  It is signed on the bottom “Lois 2018”.  The last photo is one of the storage jar in the fire at Lois’s house at Santa Clara Pueblo…a very HUGE fire!!

Garrett Maho is known for his traditional and innovative Hopi-Tewa pottery.  This bowl has four birds in a swirling or tumbling motion around the top of the piece.  They are painted with a deep red clay slip as well as the black which 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.

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.

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”.

Linda Tafoya-Sanchez is a granddaughter of noted potter Margaret Tafoya and a daughter of Lee & Betty Tafoya.  She is know for her intricately carved pottery.  The jar is a variations of designs.  Two sections are fully polished with carved corn plants.  The opposite two medallions have hummingbirds as the design.  Linda’s hummingbirds are exceptional with the rounded bodies.  There are also areas where she has added a micaceous clay slip.  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

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.

This is an exceptional lidded box by Jason Ebelacker.  He is a son of Richard Ebelacker and grandson of Virginia Ebelacker.  Jason has been focusing on traditional shapes for his pottery.  This box is fully carved around the side with a water serpent (avanyu) design, which encircles the entire piece.  It is difficult to create boxes, especially larger ones, as the flat sides tend to crack in drying and firing.  The design here flows around the surface and yet changes in each panel! It is beautifully designed. The surprise to the piece is the lid, where he has carved in reverse another water serpent! The polishing and clean carved lines are striking on the piece.   Jason is certainly one of the younger potters to watch!

This is an exceptional large box by Nancy Youngblood.  It is not often that she makes boxes and this particular piece combines many different techniques used in her pottery.  The box is an elegant shape with a length, width and height proportionality that works for the size. The sides of the box have shells on them, and not how each ridge of the shell is rounded out like her straight melon ribs! The ends of the box have circular shells. The use of shells reflects the shells used on traditional dancers at the Pueblo and that they have been used culturally for centuries.  The top of the box has a carved and polished avanyu encircling the handle, which is a double sided shell.  One visually dynamic aspect of the box is the how she has sanded the matte areas so that they are so smooth. It is a critical part of pieces as any uneven surface is revealed in the light as a small shadow!  The polished surfaces just glow with the reflection of the light.   Consider that each shell edge or swirling shell has two “sides”to be polished and the surface area of the piece is about double its size!  This box is from 2008 and came originally from Nancy to the gallery and now it has come back to us.  It is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.   Nancy has won numerous awards for her melon bowls and this is undoubtedly a classic and important piece of her pottery.

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.

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 mica style.  It is very thin walled and on the rim there is a carved section with a lighting band.  The jar is a micaceous clay and vertically polished.  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.

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.

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!

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.

Lorenzo Spencer is one of the few Navajo males potters.  He learned to make pottery from his mother-in-law, Rose Williams.  This bowl is coil built and stone polished.  The design of a bird is etched into the clay. Notice the precision of the design and there is a wonderful texture to the stippled area around the birds.  The bowl itself has a square opening and it has been traditionally fired.  After the firing it was covered in pine pitch, in the manner of historic Navajo pottery.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “LS”.

Autumn Borts-Medlock is known for her creative carved pottery.  As well, she has created some dynamic pieces in bronze over the past few years.  This bronze is entitled, “Dragonflies Raindrop”.  It is inspired by one of her clay vessels and it is carved with various styles of dragonflies around the surface. The circles surrounding the dragonflies are the raindrops.  The rim of the vessel is carved to have a mountain step pattern.  The base has kiva step designs. The coloration on the jar is from the patina.  The piece is 4 of 26.  It is signed and numbered on the bottom.

This plate by Robert Tenorio has a complex series of designs.  The plate is painted with wild spinach (black) and red and copper colored clay slips.  The center of the plate has two fish.  They are surrounded by four birds, each looking at the fish in the center. There is something charming and whimsical about the design! Each of the fish and birds is highlighted with red and copper clay slips.  There i a “spirit line” or a break in the painted line around the rim.  This goes back to historic Kewa pottery when the artist would use the spirit line to release their spirit or connection from the vessel.  The back of the plate is fully polished with a red clay slip.  It is signed on the back, in the clay, “Robert Tenorio, Kewa”.

This is a charming bowl by Anderson Peynetsa. It is made using the red clay and  the bowl is in the shape of a turtle on its back.  The sides of the piece are fully painted and there is a swirling rainbird design.  Anderson has signed the bowl on the bottom.  Yes, definitely charming.