San Ildefonso Pottery

Tonita Roybal is one of the great innovative names in San Ildefonso pottery.  This is one of her “gunmetal” fired bowl.  The metallic coloration is achieve using a very high fire to heat the bowl and create an intense silver appearance on the surface. This bowl is one of her classic shapes with a sharp shoulder.  The designs are mountain, wind and rain patterns.  Note the delicate lines of the painting on the bowl!  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tonita”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a large water jar by Cavan Gonzales. He is a descendant of Maria Martinez, through her son Adam Martinez.  Cavan is one of the few potters today who continues to make traditional polychrome pottery.  This jar is painted black-on-tan above the shoulder with a plant design.  There are cloud and rain patterns also in black.  Below the shoulder the jar is polished to a high shine.  There are etched cloud, rain and plant patterns in the red area.  There are coral insets around the neck of the jar and a band of hei-shi beads around the shoulder.  Below the shoulder in the red polished area there are inset turquoise stones connected with each of the etched designs.  The jar has been traditionally fired and it is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Jarrod Da has created a distinctive style of painting using pastels for his work. Each piece is hand painted and it is amazing how much detail he is able to achieve in each piece!  His new work is a blend of contemporary themes with San Ildefonso and Pueblo imagery.  This piece is entitled, “Red Hybrid Bee III”.  The painting has two bees painted in red and black with Pueblo designs on the wings . They are flying near pueblo painted flowers and with interspersed geometric shapes.  Jarrod wrote of this piece:

Red Hybrid Bee III was created pondering the modern effect we have on honeybees. This is three of a series of mixed media pieces. The design work is influenced through a mix of traditional San Ildefonso Pueblo design and modern deco influences. The fine detail work is done in India ink. This piece is my ode to saving the honeybee and realizing the crucial role they play in this giant organism we call earth.”

The painting is subtle in color but complex in design.  It comes in a black frame and matted. It is signed, “DA 17”.

Desideria Montoya Sanchez was a sister of noted potter Maria Martinez.  She was known for her traditional pottery and use of both classic and innovative designs. This tall jar is a shape that was used by both her and Maria during the 1920’s.  It is a tall shaped jar with a high shoulder.  The jar here is highly polished and has a cloud design painted around the neck and then additional rain and wind designs around the shoulder.  The painted designs here are so bold that they give a very modernistic appearance to the jar. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Desideria”.

Isabel Pena was one of the early San Ildefonso potters. This is one of her few carved pieces. It is most likely that she made the plate and then it was carved by her daughter, Terasita.  The style of carving is similar to that of her daughter.  The front of the plate is polished red and carved with an avanyu.  The interior carved area is filled in with the a cream colored clay. The back of the plate is also fully polished and it is tan.  The plate is signed on the back in the clay, “Isabel”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Isabel Pena was a granddaughter of Cipriana Pena and a daughter of Tonita Pena (ca 1847-1910) who was known for making large storage vessels. Isabel was the wife of Pasqual Martinez. She was also the mother of noted potters Terasita Martinez and Petronella Martinez. Her great-grandson, Elvis Torres continues to make pottery today.

For more information on the Early San Ildefonso Innovators, Click Here.

Tonita Roybal is one of the great innovative names in San Ildefonso pottery.  This is a classic shape for Tonita, with the low, round shoulder and the turned out rim.  What is unusual is the use of the avanyu or water serpent, as the design.  She painted a variety of designs, but very rarely depicted the water serpent on her pottery. The jar here is fired to a near gunmetal finish and  it is delicately painted and beautifully polished.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tonita”  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Click here to learn more about the Early San Ildefonso Innovators!

This is a large bowl by Maximiliana “Anna” Martinez, who was a sister of Maria Martinez.   It is fully polished and painted with water designs around the shoulder. The bowl itself has great coloration with areas which are nearly gunmetal.  The painting is fluid around the entire piece.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Anna”.

Click here for more information on the Early San Ildefonso Innovators!

This is a very distinctive bowl by Susana Aguilar.  The piece is from the 1920’s and it is fully polished and fired to a near gunmetal appearance.  The style of her avanyu is very distinctive with the shape of the horn and the way she painted the mouth. The avanyu of her son, Joe Aguilar, is in very much the same style.  The shape of the bowl is also very classic for her work, with thin walls and a very flat top after the curve of the shoulder.  The bottom of the bowl is also fully polished.  It is signed on the bottom  in the clay, “Susana”. The bowl is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It has some scratches on the rim.

Click here to Read more about the “Early San Ildefonso Innovators”.

Isabel Pena was one of the early San Ildefonso potters. This is one of the largest of her black-on-black bowls we have seen. It  has a snow pattern as the design.  It is a complex pattern that encompasses the surface of the jar.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Isabel Pena”.  It is in good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair.  There are a few little rubs and a small chip on the inside of the rim.  Isabel Pena was a granddaughter of Cipriana Pena and a daughter of Tonita Pena (ca 1847-1910) who was known for making large storage vessels. Isabel was the wife of Pasqual Martinez. She was also the mother of noted potters Teresita Martinez and Petronella Martinez. Her great-grandson, Elvis Torres continues to make pottery today.

For more information on the Early San Ildefonso Innovators, Click Here.

Florence Naranjo is a daughter of noted potters Rosalie & Joe Aguilar and a granddaughter of Susana Aguilar.  This is one of her few polychrome pieces of pottery. The jar is fully painted with black and red rain, cloud and snow patterns on a cream background.  The jar is a classic San Ildefonso water jar shape.  It is signed on the bottom, “Florence Naranjo”.  It is good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Click here to learn more about the Early San Ildefonso Innovators!

Joe Aguilar began his career painting pottery for his mother, Susana Aguilar,  He also made pottery with his wife, Rosalie, through the 1940’s.  In the 1950’s he created a fascinating group of polychrome pottery including both plates and vessels.  He was one of the few potters at the time still using traditional techniques and designs for his work. This is an exceptional plate painted with polychrome designs. The center is a fineline pattern, which was often seen in the earlier black-on-black pottery. The central medallion then becomes a whirling circle of water with the extensions of the plant designs.  The plate is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair. There are two small areas where the white slip has flaked away.  It is signed on the back, “Joe Aguilar”.

For more information on the Early San Ildefonso Innovators, Click Here.

Spoken Through Clay

A NEW  RELEASE SPECIAL:  $95.00, including shipping (US)! Check out the new review in the Denver Post!

 Just a few things which make this book unique!

*   The size!  The book is 11.75″ x 14.25″ and weights over 8 pounds!
*  The photography of the pottery is stunning, emphasizing the individual pieces.
*  Each caption is the artist discussing the individual piece on the page.
*  The artist “biographies” are from interviews with the artists and they discuss their art, culture, lives and history.
*  Organization: The book is not organized by pueblo or family, but entails new ways to think about the future of Native pottery.
*  Printing in Italy gives the book very high quality color and paper.
* The photos of the living artists were taken by Will Wilson using a tin-type process. He was a recipient of the 2107 New Mexico Governor’s Award for the Arts in photography!
*  The book features work by more than 30 contemporary potters and more than a dozen important historic potters.
*  There are essays by myself, Peter Held and Eric Dobkin.  They add to the overall understanding of the project a historic perspective.

_____________________________________________

August 18, Pasatiempo Review

“Charles S. King’s new book, Spoken Through Clay: Native Pottery in the Southwest, The Eric S. Dobkin Collection, is spectacularly heavy —which is a problem from a practical standpoint, because once you open it, you won’t want to put it down. With dreamy tintype artist portraits by Diné photographer Will Wilson, dazzlingly crisp images from Addison Doty, and intimate first-person essays written by dozens of artists, the book is a visually delicious, intellectually consuming foray into historic and contemporary Southwestern pottery. In short, prepare to swoon.

“It’s one of the things that makes us who we are. It’s what holds our family together. We are a family of potters. It’s our identity. People don’t realize how much work goes into it just processing the clay and making it. You have to do it with your heart.”—Linda Tafoya-Sanchez

FEATURED ARTISTS Grace Medicine Flower • Dextra Quotskuyva • Autumn Borts-Medlock • Jody Naranjo • Harrison Begay Jr. • Jordan Roller • Sara Fina Tafoya • Lonnie Vigil • Margaret Tafoya • Steve Lucas • LuAnn Tafoya • Loren Ami • Toni Roller • Popovi Da • Linda Tafoya-Sanchez • Mark Tahbo • James Ebelacker• Yvonne Lucas • Jeff Roller • Lisa Holt • Harlan Reano • Nampeyo • Jacquie Stevens • Nathan Youngblood • Jacob Koopee Jr. • Jennifer Moquino • Christopher Youngblood • Maria Martinez • Tony Da • Tammy Garcia • Virgil Ortiz • Joseph Lonewolf • Johnathan Naranjo • Nancy Youngblood • Les Namingha • Russell Sanchez • Christine McHorse • Richard Zane Smith • Rondina Huma • Susan Folwell • Dominique Toya • Jody Folwell

Spoken Through Clay features the pottery of iconic Native American artists from historic potters Nampeyo and Maria Martinez, to contemporary potters Tammy Garcia, Virgil Ortiz, and many others, are featured in a new book published by the Museum of New Mexico Press. Spoken Through Clay: Native Pottery of the Southwest showcases nearly three hundred pottery vessels from the acclaimed Eric S. Dobkin Collection, covering a wide range of mostly Pueblo artists from the Southwest.

“The physical scale of the vessels combined with the depth of the contemporary collection [is] breathtaking,” says author Charles S. King. The book is part of a “transitional process of looking to the clay, the vessel, and the potter’s voice and allowing the pieces to stand on the merit of their artistic integrity.”

The book includes portraits and voices of renowned potters speaking about their artistry and technique, families, culture, and traditions. Many of the artists are connected by Pueblos, generations, or family members. Dynamic color photography captures the depth and dimension of the pieces, while the artists provide an illuminating perspective through narrative captions. Artists, academics, collectors, family members, and gallerists add additional insight about the lives, historical context, and importance of these potters and their work.

SPOKEN THROUGH CLAY Native Pottery of the Southwest The Eric S. Dobkin Collection
By Charles S. King Essay by Peter Held

Artist portraits by Will Wilson
ISBN: 978-0-89013-624-9

352 pages, 320 color plates, 40 artist portraits

Publication Date: August 01, 2017
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Charles S. King is the author of Born of Fire: The Life and Pottery of Margaret Tafoya, The Life and Art of Tony Da, Virgil Ortiz: Revolt 1680/2180, and numerous articles on Pueblo pottery. He has served on boards of art associations, judged pottery at prestigious events, and lectures about the art form. His business King Galleries represents many of today’s leading Native potters and important historic works in clay. Charles lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This is a charming open bowl by Tonita Roybal, from the 1920’s.  It is either a small plate or a small dish.  It is oval and has a slight rim.  The bowl is painted on the inside with a lightning and cloud pattern.  The piece is polished which creates a strong contrast for the design.  The bowl is signed on the back in the clay, “Tonita”.  It is in very good condition with no cracks, restoration or repair. There are few tiny dings on the rim.  Amazingly, the center of the piece is in excellent condition!

During the 1950’s Maria Martinez made and polished pottery and signed using her Tewa name, “Maria Poveka”.  Poveka means “Water Lilly”.  This is one of her classic open bowls, which are polished on both the inside and outside. Interestingly, today, few potters will attempt to fully polish the inside and outside of a piece, as it adds the possibility of it cracking.  The bowl is very highly polished and there are small areas of gunmetal and coloration in the black from the heat of the firing.  The bowl is signed in the clay on the bottom, “Maria Pove’ka”.   It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

To learn more about Maria’s signatures, click here.

Rose Gonzales is often considered the first at San Ildefonso Pueblo to make carved pottery. However, over the course of her career she created a variety of styles including plainware, painted and carved pottery. This wedding vase is from the 1960’s. It is painted with a plant design on two sides and a very intricate mountain design on the sides.  Note the use of the linear lines for the mountain!  The wedding vase is fully polished it is not often that we see a wedding vase by Rose.  This piece is signed on the bottom in the clay “Rose”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  There are some scratches near the base of the piece.   Rose’s legacy an certainly be seen in the work of Tse-Pe, Dora Tse-Pe and Russell Sanchez.

Anita Martinez was a granddaughter of Maria Martinez and a daughter of Santana & Adam Martinez.  This is a classic bowl of hers which is highly polished. It has been fired with sections which have a gunmetal appearance.  The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Anita Martinez”.

In the 1950’s Maria Martinez created a series of pieces which were simply stone polished with no design.  As she primarily made the pottery and polished it this was fitting with the other pieces of her career.  This small plate is fully polished on the front and matte on the back.  It is signed in the clay, “Maria Poveka”.  This is a combination of her Anglo and Tewa names.  Her name, “Poveka” means “Water Lilly”.  The plate is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is an classic jar by Tonita Roybal, from the 1920’s.  What is most distinctive about this jar is the shape, which Tonita originated, with the very sharp shoulder. The entire bowl is fired and the area from the shoulder to the rim is painted.  The design is a bird feather and lightning design.  There is also a very unusual comb-like pattern, which is meant to represent wind and rain.  The bowl has been traditionally fired outside, so there are color variations from gunmetal to brown. There is a small area of black and brown below the shoulder which is most likely from a piece of wood touching the piece during the firing.  It might also be from the Tonita herself touching the piece with some wood, as early potters would often touch the pots with a stick during the firing to give them character.  Either way it is part of the charm of the firing process.  The bowl is from the late 1920’s and signed, “Tonita”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Tse-Pe Gonzales as a son of noted potter Rose Gonzales.  This seedpot is fully polished and fired brown. The design is a central plant pattern with a fish on either side.  The tails of the fish extend out from the circle of the medallion.  There is a single inset piece of turquoise at the top to represent the water.  The back of the piece is fully polished with no design.  The etching is tight and the stippling of the background is a visual signature to Tse-Pe’s technique.  It is signed on the bottom with Tse-Pe’s hallmark. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This larger 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 a butterfly painted in the center.  There is a checkerboard pattern around the rim of the piece.  Note as well there is a single inset piece of turquoise for the head of the butterfly.  The back of the plate is slipped red and signed by Cavan.

This red water jar is a late piece by Popovi Da, as he passed away the same year it was made.  It is a classic water jar and fully polished.  Popovi Da created both plainware and painted vessels.  He was a son of potter, Maria Martinez.  While he worked with her painting designs on her pottery, he also created a few pieces on his own beginning in 1962.  He was planning to continue making pottery on his own after Maria retired but unfortunately passed away before this could occur.  His pottery pieces are definitely a rarity among Pueblo pottery and it is not often that we come across his work.   This jar is signed on the bottom in the clay “Popovi 471” which is the firing date of April, 1971. It is stunning in color and form and certainly a rarity of his work!

Desideria Montoya Sanchez was a sister of noted potter Maria Martinez.  She was known for her traditional pottery and use of both classic and innovative designs. This bowl is painted with a bird wing pattern.  It is interesting that this design has a Hopi-Tewa style appearance to the design.  Many of the early San Ildefonso potters were very interested in the work of Nampeyo of Hano and incorporated Hopi designs into their work.  The imagery was often stylized, such as the feather pattern at the round end of the wing.  The bowl was fired with to a nearly gunmetal appearance.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Desideria”.

Dora Tse-Pe learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law, Rose Gonzales.  She is renowned for her beautifully formed and highly polished pottery.  This is one of her classic pieces.  It is a highly polished black bowl which has a sienna rim. The bear lid is coil built and has a ridge so that it sits inside the mouth of the bowl. It is simple and yet a classic for San Ildefonso pottery.  It is signed on the bottom, “Dora of San Ildefonso” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Rose Gonzales is often considered the first at San Ildefonso Pueblo to make carved pottery. However, over the course of her career she created a variety of styles including plainware, painted and carved pottery.  This jar is both a classic shape and design.  Rose carved her pottery with a “cameo” style where the design often seems to be carved right at the edge of the shoulder.  Here the water serpent (avanyu) is in that position. The sharp edge of the jar and the long neck are both classics of her form.  The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed, “Rose” on the bottom in the clay.