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 exceptional miniature by Autumn Borts-Medlock.  She is known for her often fanciful carved pottery and use of unique shapes.  The bowl is carved with an avanyu encircling the bowl.  The body of the avanyu is made of cloud and wave designs.  It is amazing she could carve so deep and with complex lines on a piece so small! It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Autumn Borts”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a very modernist wedding vase by Linda Cain.  Linda is a daughter of Mary Cain and the mother of Tammy Garcia and Autumn Borts.  This piece has a very wide shoulder and very tiny spouts.  The body of the jar is carved in relief and then fully polished.  The carved designs are cloud patterns which spiral around the peice on both sides!  The result is a subtle appearance with small shadows cast by the rounded designs.  The spouts are very small and connected by a handle.  The jar is fired a deeper red coloration.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

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”.

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 women, fish and a woman playing the flute with a baby.  Separating the various images are geometric Acoma designs.  There is a cut-out in the clay on the top in the shape of a kiva step design.  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”.

Carolyn Concho is well known for her beautifully painted pottery using Mimbres animals, reptiles and insects.  This small bowl is painted on the top with 2 ladybugs, a fish, butterfly and a flute player.  Separating them are sections of a star design.   All the additional colors are from natural clay slips.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “C. Concho”.

This is a larger bowl by Art Cody Haungooah who was known for his miniatures.  The entire bowl is fully polished and fired red.  It is etched with a very stylized water serpent (avanyu) encircling the piece.  Around the rim are clouds while the body of the avanyu is etched with scales.  The tongue is like a bolt of lightning and crosses the tail. It is an interestingly designed piece.  Event he background matte area is textured!  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Haungooah”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair with some wear near the base.

Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery

This is a complex smaller bowl by Art Cody Haungooah. The bowl is fully polished and fired black.  It is entitled, “The Ancient Ones”.  There is a single medallion which is etched humanized grasshopper along with a stylized grassopper figure.  This is one of those pieces where I wish I knew the story of “The Ancient Ones” as Art was masterful as a story teller.  The bowl has some deeper carving (the circular lines) along with Art’s classic straffito.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Haungooah  “The Ancient Ones”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery

This is one of the few pieces signed by both Art Cody Haungooah and his wife, Martha.  Martha made the small jar and polished the surface.  Art Cody etched the design.  The central medallion is a howling coyote.  In front of the coyote is a quarter moon.  On the opposite side of the moon is a stylized bird.  There is just a slight lip to the jar.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Art & Martha Haungooah  1976”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery

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!

Rebecca Lucario is known for her delicate and intricately painted pottery.  This seedpot is painted with a lizard on top.  The lizard is surrounded by intricately painted geometric Acoma designs.  It is delicate in design and traditional in form.  The seedpot is signed on the bottom, “R. Lucario”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This seedpot has four dragonflies in the center of the piece.  They are surrounding a flower design. There are additional checkerboard and fine-line patterns surrounding each dragonfly.  Around the rim of the seedpot are interlocking plant designs.  The piece is very detailed for the size.   The seedpot is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

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 lizards. The lizards are inspired by the Mimbres pottery of the 1100’s.  Around the edge of the seedpot are cloud and rain designs, which are very intricately painted.  All the colors are from natural clay slips. The thin lines are very time consuming to paint!    It is an exciting modern interpretation of classic Acoma imagery.  It is signed on the bottom, “D. Lewis”.

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!

Madeline Naranjo creates beautifully carved and polished pottery.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished and traditionally fired.  This jar has a flowing design of carved butterflies.  They are encircling the jar from top to bottom in a row.  The wings of polished while the center is matte.  The area surrounding the at the top and bottom is also polished.  There are additional carved cloud and wind designs.  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.  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.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This seedpot has a bee painted in the center.  The body of the bee is painted with fineline geometrics.  Surroudning the bee are mountain and classic Acoma designs painted in red and black on white.  This is a larger seedpot for Sharon and she said it was the first time she had put a more realistic style of bee onto her pottery.  The seedpot is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

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 women.  There are 16 women on the piece in seven rows.  Separating each of them are various traditional Acoma designs.  Note the complexity of the painting and the use of colors. All the colors are from natural clay slips.   Note as well there is a cut-out on the top of the piece in the shape of lightning, next to the rain designs! The women are inspired by the Mimbres pottery of the 1100’s.  It is an exciting modern interpretation of classic Acoma imagery.  It is signed on the bottom, “D. Lewis”.

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.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This is a miniature jar.  It is painted below the shoulder with a very delicate black and white fine-line design. The shoulder has little ladybugs which are raised from the surface.  The black is painted with bee-weed. The colors are all from additional clay slips.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This miniature seedpot is very tightly painted. Ther design is a series of interlocking butterflies. Note how they are smaller at the opening and change in size as they move across the surface. The black is from bee-weed. The seedpot is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

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.

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 lizards and a Mimbres fox.  Note the bodies of all the animals are made up of traditional Acoma designs!  There is also a cut-out area in the shape of a step or mountain pattern.  All the colors are from natural clay slips. The thin lines are very time consuming to paint!  The lizards and fox are inspired by the Mimbres pottery of the 1100’s.  It is an exciting modern interpretation of classic Acoma imagery.  It is signed on the bottom, “D. Lewis”.

Diane Lewis is known for her tightly painted miniature pottery.  This is one of her distinctive oval seedpots.  The piece is painted on the top with a complex series of designs. The figures, as well as the birds, fish, rabbit, and turtle, are inspired by the Mimbres pottery of the 1100’s.  The surrounding areas are painted with classic Acoma patterns including rain and lightning designs.  Note the intricacy of the painting!   All the various colors are natural clay slips.  It is an exciting modern interpretation of classic Acoma imagery.  It is signed on the bottom, “D. Lewis”.

This is a very unusual lidded bowl by Art Cody Haungooah.  There are polished medallions on each side and the clay around them is carved away leaving the medallions raised. The medallion on one side has a moth and the other an ant.  They are each inset with two pieces of turquoise.  The surrounding matte area has been sanded down and works as a perfect contrast to the polished areas.  The lid is also fully polished.  It is a strong complement to the polished medallions.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery

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.

Art Cody Haungooah began making pottery in  1972.  He brought his Kiowa heritage and culture to the pottery of Santa Clara Pueblo.  This piece is from around 1980.  It is a seedpot and fully polished. It is an unusual design in that it is based more of Kiowa history than that of the Southwest.  There are two teepees as the design.  They are surrounded by cloud and feather patterns.  It is signed on the back, “AH, Haungooah”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery

Art Cody Haungooah began making pottery in  1972.  He brought his Kiowa heritage and culture to the pottery of Santa Clara Pueblo.  This clay turtle is from 1974.  It is fully polished and the back is etched with a Hemis Mana katsina.  Note the more deeply incised and rounded lines around the katsina figure.  It is signed on the bottom on the neck, “Haungooah 2-74”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Art Cody Haungooh: A “Reflected Light” in Pueblo Pottery

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This jar is a more classic Acoma form with the high shoulder and short neck.  It is fully painted with large star patterns.  Separating the large stars are very delicately painted hatchwork lines.  The black is from bee-weed. The jar is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

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.

This is a charming miniature bowl by Juanita Fragua.  She is known for classic Jemez pottery and is the mother of BJ Fragua and Glendora Fragua.  This mini jar is fully polished tan and she painted a medallion design on one side. There is a stalk of corn and a basket for collecting the corn pollen!  The designs are painted with clay slips and are matte, while the remainder of the jar is polished.  It is signed on the bottom, “JCF”.   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a very traditionally inspired tile by Ida Sahmie.  It is “The Four Sacred Plants”, which is a design often seen in sandpaintings.  Here, Ida has painted it on a stone polished tile using natural clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black.  The four sacred plants are corn, beans, squash and tobacco.  There are both painted and matte areas along with incised designs.   The tile was traditionally fired and it is signed on the back, “Ida Sahmie”.  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 the Four Sacred Plants and the Dine people is as follows:

“Four Sacred Plants are assigned to the cardinal points, and amongst the Navajos Maize is the plant of the North, Beans of the east. This means that both are male and as both are grown for edible seeds, recognition of the physiological function of the male was probably involved in the selection. This is entirely possible since the convention could have been established only very late, after settlement in America. Squash, for the Navajos, is the plant of the South, which is fitting since its fruit is called “eight-sided” and the eight-sided earth (an alternative to the square earth, taking account of the diagonal directions) is female. Also the stalk is angled in sections, a feature deliberately exaggerated when the plant is depicted in sand paintings, and crooked things are female. Tobacco, which the Navajos put on the west, is female because it is used to make smoke which is blown out with the breath, and that is female. Below the Plants are white roots, the significance being that these plants still have their roots in the lower world.”

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.

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!

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!

Niadi learned to make pottery from Theresa Wildflower.  While she no longer make pottery, her pieces are amazing for the variety of their styles and the intricacy of the painting. This miniature bowl is wide in shape and painted with interlocking bands of cloud patterns.  Note the subtle variations in the colors of the gray and black!  The bowl is signed on the bottom, “Nidai”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks restoration or repair.

This is extraordinary seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 2000.  The piece is one from the period when he began to create exceptionally detailed and realistic animals on his pottery surfaces.  The seedpot is entitled, “Lone Wolf” and it has the full body of the wolf etched into the clay.  Joseph said of this piece,

“Positioned in such a manner, somewhat a side view, yet frontal, against a dark background, brightened only by the magenta tones of the setting sun, it is easy to recognize the wolf’s heavy frame and long limbs.  Since he stands in clumps of dry-colored grasses, we are unable to see his forefeet or his back feet. Meticulously designed, the wolf’s fur is moderately long, thick and varies in color shades of white, gray, brown and black.  The open winged butterfly is symbolic of beauty.  Sketched in a side view manner is a full body designed buck, a big game food source for the wolf.  It is depicted in the Mimbres form. In front of the buck is a multi-color toned design depicting with several feathers the symbol of strength, and a badger print, symbolic of strength and good fortune.”  Joseph Lonewolf

The detail on the head of the wolf is exceptional. It is not just the eyes, but fur and the various levels of carving into the clay.  It’s hard to capture in the photos but even the tongue of the wolf is perfectly designed.  On the back are two “yearly” medallions on this piece, which signify 2000 and are symbolic for his mother (Agapita, a daisy) and father (Camilio, a sunflower).  The two symbols are reflective of their names in Tewa.  An interesting note about his piece is that was included as the image on his business cards for the year.  The piece includes one of these business cards along with the typed card with the information on the piece.  It is one of the more complicated and ornate realistic animal seedpot we have had by Joseph.  The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay and it is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Needless to say, again, it is not just extraordinary but a great piece of history!

This seedpot by Camilio Tafoya is very intricately designed.  It would seem that it most likely was made, polished and the designs were begun by Camilio and then the designs were finished by his son, Joseph Lonewolf.  While it is signed by Camilio, it would suggest that the piece was already polished.  However, there are indicators that it was finished by Joseph, as he finished several of the pieces which Camilio had in process before he passed.  The deer are all very intricately etched and designed than on any of the piece finished by Camilio from 1990-5.  There is is a large buck with antlers extending over the top of the seedpot. On the opposite side there is another deer with smaller antlers and two does.  The deer are very intricately designed and they are much closer in style to those of Joseph.  As well, there is the number on the bottom, which is precision-etched, and the last letters are JL, which are probably Joseph’s initials as the end of the numbering system. The numbering system used by Camilio was typically much shorter and a bit more stylistic in design.  Overall, the piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs.  This seedpot is from the 1990’s.  It has the yearly symbol of a heart with a cross in it on the back.  On the front is the classic Feathered Water Serpent which was used by Joseph Lonewolf and his family.  Note the intricate detail in the head and the feathers.  There is an additional butterfly etched into the back of the piece.   The precision of the designs and the shine of the polished surface create a perfect balance.  This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs.  This is a very small seedpot and yet it is very fully designed!  The seedpot has two Mimbres style flute players as the design.  They are surrounded by plant and rain designs. There is a butterfly on the opposite side.  The heart medallion is the yearly symbol for 1986.  There is an additional green clay slip used to highlight the designs.  The precision of the designs and the shine of the polished surface create a perfect balance.  This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a classically shaped jar by Dorothy Torivio.  She was among the first to utilize and then refine the “op-art” style in her Acoma pottery. She took traditional Acoma patterns and then repeated them on a vessel, ranging the size from small to large and then small again, in accordance with the shape of the vessel.  The shape of the jar has a wide, sharp shoulder and a very tiny neck.  The design is a yucca leaf which extends from the neck to the shoulder and then to the base.  The open space of the white and the contrasting black give the jar a very modern appearance.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Dorothy Torivio” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Helen Gutierrez (1935-1993) was a daughter of Isabel Atencio, a sister of Gilbert Atencio and the mother of Geraldine, Carol, and Rose Gutierrez. She was known for her traditional San Ildefonso pottery.  This bowl is highly polished red.  It is painted with a buff colored clay to create the feather pattern which encircles the piece.  The bowl was traditionally fired red.  The design and style are classic for San Ildefonso.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1997.  The piece is entitled, “Mimbres Cricket”.  It includes a signed version of the card which Joseph made for each of his miniatures.  This piece was actually made for our show at the gallery with Joseph and Grace Medicine Flower in 1998.   Joseph wrote partially of this piece:

“Portrayed from a side view is a cricket representative of the Mimbres Period – 10th to 14th centuries.  The cricket – an insect related to the locust and grasshopper, but usually having long antennae – appears to be leaping in mid-air.  Beneath the Mimbres cricket is highly polished red slipwork (Mother Earth) which encompasses the extreme front, partial sides, back side and a portion of the top.”

The butterfly is symbolic of beauty and the the interlocking rings medallion represents the attachment between friends and was the yearly symbol for 1997.  Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs.  The piece is signed on the bottom and includes the signed artist card.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from around 2000.  The piece is one of his few black fired pieces.  It is fully eteched with a potter working on painting a piece of pottery.  They are surrounded by several other pieces of finished pottery.  Above the figure are butterflies.  Each butterfly is detailed and has various clay-colored slips.  There is a small butterfly etched into the black along with the yearly symbol.  It is a more complex design, both in the figure and as well as the colors.  It is signed on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This seedpot by Camilio Tafoya is from 1995. It is the last series of pieces he made.  It was fully polished and etched with an otter, trout, and skunk.  There is a simplicity and playfulness to the designs.  The various colors are derived from natural clay slips.  It is signed on the bottom “Camilio Sunflower Tafoya”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

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.

Joseph Lonewolf began making pottery in 1970-1.  This is a very early piece of his pottery.  It is a more classic shape with a wide shoulder which slopes upward.  The bottom half of the piece is fully polished. The top is etched with a water serpent (avanyu) with a feather pattern, which is the style used by him and his family.  The matte background area is deeply etched swirls up from the shoulder and over the rim.  It must have been exciting in 1971 to see work that was so new and unique at the time!  This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This plate was made by Preston Duwyenie and polished and incised by Debra Duwyenie.  The design on the front is fully polished and full of imagery. The design is a flowering plant which extends up from the vase.  Each of the flowers are etched into the clay and the center of each is matte, which is just where the polished slip has been etched away.  For nearly each flower is a hummingbird, each of which are also etched into the clay and with matte bellies.  There are 19 hummingbirds on the plate!  There are also additional butterflies and note near the top is a sunface and extending from the sun are rain and cloud designs.  The back of the plate is fully polished and signed with Debra’s name and Preston’s hallmark.

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”.

Shirley Tafoya was the youngest daughter of Margaret Tafoya. They each created distinctive styles of carved pottery.  This is one of the only pieces Margaret made with her daughter, Shirley.  Shirley told me when I was writing “Born of Fire” that Margaret had made the bowl and she asked Shirley to carve a kiva step design into the clay.  Shirley then polished the bowl.  The bowl is highly polished and traditionally fired.  The kiva steps were a significant choice:

“The kiva step pattern is a classic design see on much of Margaret Tafoya’s pottery. That particular design has three steps, representing the kiva where religious ceremonies take place on the Pueblo. From the kitchen window of Margaret’s house, their clan kiva could also be seen while they worked.  Again, the tradition of form and design, of passing on knowledge to the next generation, were all a daily presence in Margaret’s pottery and life”.  Born of Fire, p. 100

This bowl is from the 1980’s and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Shirley Cactus Blossom Tafoya, Margaret Tafoya”.  It is an amazing piece of history, culture and Pueblo tradition!  The last photos are one from the book, Born of Fire along with a photo of Margaret and Shirley Tafoya.

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

Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs.  This bowl is very thin walled and has an indented bottom.  It is fully polished red and there are three medallions.  Each medallion has an antelope as the design.  The antelope are etched into the clay before firing.  The border of each medallion is polished green.  Joseph was one of the first potters to begin using clays that were not red and this is a very early example of his green clay slip.  The remainder of the bowl is fully polished red.  The precision of the designs and the shine of the polished surface create a perfect balance.  This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This is a classic long neck shaped jar by Dorothy Torivio.  She was among the first to utilize and then refine the “op-art” style in her Acoma pottery. She took classic Acoma patterns and then repeated them on a vessel, ranging the size from small to large and then small again, in accordance with the shape of the vessel.  The shape of the jar is one which Dorothy created to emphasize her painted designs.  The long neck has a butterfly pattern which is repeated in smaller and then larger sizes.  The precision and tight painting on the neck is exceptional!  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Dorothy Torivio” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This seedpot by Camilio Tafoya reflects the interesting connection of the wild turkey and Pueblo culture. There are turkey clans and most importantly, the turkey feathers are used in numerous Pueblo dances.  They are a critical part of the cultural and spiritual activities in most pueblos.  Interestingly, they have been important for quite a while in Pueblo life.

“The ancient Pueblo people shifted from making blankets of rabbit fur to using turkey feathers. One blanket could require 12,000 feathers, which could be taken as the birds molted.  The blankets helped ward off the high-altitude chill of Mesa Verde, but the turkeys also “must have had some symbolic importance,” said Lipe. “That continues all the way through to the present. Turkey feathers are still ritually quite important among Pueblo people.”   Eric Sorensen

You might also check out the “Turkey Girl” story as presented by Juan de la Cruz on the Camilio Tafoya bronze listing.  This seedpot has a male and female turkey on either side of the seedpot. They are etched into the clay and highlighted with colored clays.  The top of the seedpot has a cloud pattern and a rain pattern. The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Camilio”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1989.  The piece is coil built and stone polished. The design is etched into the clay.  There is a single standing fawn on one side surrounded by a blue clay slip.  Surrounding the fawn are 20 small butterflies also highlighted in blue. On the back is a doe and her fawn lightly etched into the clay. They are surrounded by more very tiny etched butterflies! Near the base is the 1989 yearly symbol, an ankh, an ancient Egyptian symbol of life.  Each year Joseph would create a new “yearly symbol” and use it to “date” his pieces for that year.  Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs.  The piece is signed on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This jar by Grace Medicine Flower is fully polished and incised.  The jar has high sides and a short neck. There is a large leaping deer on one side. On the opposite side are two fawns and flowers.  Grace has incorporated additional Pueblo cloud, rain and feather designs.  The jar is from the 1990’s and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.

This is a stunning and complex polychrome jar from Dolores Curran.  She continues to create intricately incised and painted pottery.  She was inspired to create these red polychrome incised and painted by her husband, Alvin Curran.  He was known for his incised San Juan style pottery in the 1990’s.  This jar has incised butterfly and flower designs around the neck.   As the design gets closer to the shoulder, there are incised clouds and rain designs.  What is incised mean? Incised is just a bit deeper carving than the sgraffito or etched designs, but not as deep as carved designs.  There is a tightness and precision required of incised designs and it a skill with which Dolores excels.  Around the shoulder is a carved avanyu and below that are stylized bowls with prayer feathers.  Near the base are cloud and rain designs painted on the polished red surface.  Note even the little red-on-red dragonflies!  The design on the lid is a plant pattern and there are painted dragonfly and cloud designs on the lid.  When the lid is turned over there is an incised turtle underneath!  The entire jar combines polished, matte and micaceous surfaces.  All the colorations are from natural clay slips.  It is an extraordinary amount of time to create pieces this intricate both in design and in the various clay additions.   The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Simply perfect!

Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs.  This seedpot is from 1984.  It has two grizzly bear cubs, each etched into the clay in great detail.  Each of the cubs is entranced with the butterflies.  What is so exceptional on this piece is not just the bears and the interaction with the butterflies, but the filigree style etching work surrounding them.  The plants and the feather patterns flow around the piece in a delicate stylistic manner.  It’s always difficult with his work to imagine that Joseph etched the designs into the clay!  There is an additional white clay slip used along with a red clay slip.   The back of the piece has a medallion with a rainbow, which is the yearly symbol for 1984.  The precision of the designs and the shine of the polished surface create a perfect balance.  This piece is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a tightly carved miniature jar by Linda Cain.  Linda is a daughter of Mary Cain and the mother of Tammy Garcia and Autumn Borts.  This miniature jar is deeply carved with eight feathers.  The area behind the feathers is slipped with a micaceous clay. The feathers and the jar are all stone polished.  It is fired a deep black and signed on the bottom in the clay.

Greg Lonewolf is the son of Joseph Lonewolf and is known for his intricately incised miniatures.  This seedpot has a cottontail rabbit as the design.  It is intricately etched into the clay and highlighted with natural clay slips.  Around the side is a feather pattern.   It is signed on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

The is among the most refined incised pieces we have seen by Camilio Tafoya. The seedpot is incised on one side with a fish and the other a bird. They are separated by a leaf pattern.  The entire piece is very highly polished and the additional colored clay slips create a striking visual complement to the shine.  The seedpot is from 1982 and it is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Dextra Quostkuyva Nampeyo is certainly one of the most influential Hopi-Tewa potters of the last 50 years. Not only has she taught numerous potters (Steve Lucas, Yvonne Lucas, Les Namingha, Loren Ami, Hisi Nampeyo, to name just a few), but her creative designs and forms changed have dramatically influenced the pottery itself.  This is an earlier jar from 1984.  It is painted with a very fine-line bird wing pattern. The design is repeated four times around the shoulder of the piece.  The rim of the jar is also very tightly painted. It is painted with natural clay slips and bee-weed (black) and traditionally fired to create the blushes or fire-clouds on the surface.   The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dextra” along with a corn plant to represent the Corn Clan.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  There is a little superficial slip crack on the base, which can be seen in the photo of the signature.  This jar is also published in the book, “Painted Perfection” on page 75.  Dextra was the subject of a retrospective of her pottery at the Museum of Indian Art and Culture, along with a companion book entitled, “Painted Perfection“.

Grace Tahbo is a relative of Mark Tahbo’s who is known for her miniature pottery.  This miniature canteen is painted with a cloud and lightning design  The black is bee-weed (a plant) and the red and orange are two different clay slips.  Grace also made the little fiber handle for the canteen.  The little ladle goes with the canteen and it is also clay. Both are traditionally fired.  The canteen is signed, “G. Tahbo” and a pipe for Tobacco Clan.

Barbara & Joseph Cerno are known for their large coil built vessels.  This is one of their figurative pieces.  There are two snakes intertwined together.  The backs of each snake are painted with diamond designs.  It is interesting how they weave together to become one piece.  The snakes are from 2006 and it is signed on the bottom.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.   Barbara & Joseph remain among the most renown contemporary Acoma potters for their revival of historic patterns.

Susan “Snowflake” Romero’s pottery is highly polished and intricately etched with detailed imagery.  She learned to make pottery from her father, Joseph Lonewolf. This seedpot has a realistic style of butterfly on the top.  The butterfly is surrounded by flowers. There are various levels of etching on the piece, including some wonderful areas which are just tan.  The polishing has created a high shine.  The seepot is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair and signed on the bottom.

This lidded jar by Grace Medicine Flower is from 1989 shows the transition of her work from sgraffito designs to a combination of carved and etched imagery. This jar has an elegant shape and the entire piece is fully polished. The bottom half is fully carved and polished with melon ribs.  Note the sharp edge of each rip and how the area between the ribs are also fully polished!  The area around the shoulder is fully polished and etched with hummingbirds.  The lid is unique with a single melon “rib” cutting across the surface.  It perfectly ties the entire piece together!   It is signed on the bottom, “Grace Medicine Flower”. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips,cracks restoration or repair. It is elegant and stunning!  Over her career she made very few black pieces and yet they are always stunning and creative!

This is an exceptional miniature seedpot by Rosemary Lonewolf!  It is fully designed with three birds and a band of flowers around the shoulder.  Spiraling around the top of the seedpot is a feather design and there is a small flower on the very top! Rosemary has added additional white and blue colorations for the clay on this piece.  The various colors are all derived from natural clay slips.  The seedpot is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom.

This is one of Art Cody Haungooah’s unique “two tone” pieces from 1977. There is an area which is polished brown, and the remainder is polished red.  The piece is etched with a rain and geometric pattern on the top.  On the sides, there is a cricket on one side and a bee on the other.  Both are etched in a Mimbres style.  The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Haungooah, 1977”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This miniatures bowl by Art Cody Haungooah has been fired black.  It is etched on the top with an avanyu and a big horn sheep as the design.  The surrounding area of the design has deep linear etching. The bottom is fully polished.  The bowl is signed on the side in the clay.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This seedpot by Art Cody Haungooah is from 1978.  It is polished red on the bottom and polished on the top with a bluish-gray clay.  The top is etched with a feather design. The clay coloration is unusual and one of the signatures of Art’s pottery style is he deviation from the traditional colors and designs of Santa Clara pottery.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1997.  The piece is entitled, “Leaping Grasshoppers”.  It includes a signed version of the card which Joseph made for each of his miniatures.  There is also a photo of Joseph holding the piece! Joseph wrote partially of this piece,

“Portrayed side view are two geometrically designed and color-toned grasshoppers.  Representative of the Mimbres Period – 10th to 14th centuries. Both grasshoppers appear to be leaping.  Beneath the plant-eating insects is a higly polished red slipwork symbolic of Mother Earth.  Swirled and jagged to denote “Her” terrain, MOther Earth’s surface is only sparsely vegetated.”

The butterfly etched on the back is symbolic of beauty and the the interlocking rings medallion represents the attachment between friends and was the yearly symbol for 1997.   This piece was actually purchased at our gallery show for Joseph Lonewolf and Grace Medicine Flower in 1998! Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs.  The piece is signed on the bottom and includes the signed artist card.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a charming miniature by Joseph Lonewolf  Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs.  This seedpot is entitled, “Lone Chipmunk”.  Joseph wrote of this piece:

“Comprising the front side of this minature is a cheerful, alert, sun-loving little animal, a lone chipmunk.  Below the handsome hoarder, at the base, is the symbol of beauty, a tiny butterfly.  Encircling the chipmunk and comprising the back side are designs symbolic of sun rays and the natural habitat (of the chipmunk).

The surface is fully polished red and there are additional black, white, green and blue clay slips added to create the colorations.  The yearly symbol for 1986 is a “heart” which represents love and Lonewolf says, “in particular a deep devotion for the ancestors and Mother Earth”.  The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Beginning in the early 1970’s, Joseph Lonewolf revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs.  This seedpot is entitled, “Call to the Creatures”.  Joseph wrote of this piece:

“The time has come…the People must stock up on food and clothing once again.  Standing upon the design symbolic of his pathway, the flute player lifts his flute and calls the creatures on the back side of this creation.  Encircled by the musical story coming from his flute, the flute player, symbolic of leadership, tells the rabbit, antelope, ram, and fish to come forth and provide the people all they require”.

This seedpot is very intricately designed with a fourish of the flute player on the piece. There is an additional green clay slip used to highlight the piece. The yearly symbol for 1984 is near the base and it is a rainbow, symbolising a bright future.  The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It includes the original card with the information on the piece.