Blue Corn was one of the great innovative San Ildefonso potters of the late 1900s.  This is one of her few boxes. The piece is unusual in that it is oval in shape. The box is fully polished.  There is a lid that is painted with 28 feathers encircling the “handle”.  The entire surface was fully polished before it was painted.  The box was fired to a deep black black coloration.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Blue Corn”.  It is from the 1960s and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.

Why Boxes?

There has long been a fascination with boxes, that is to say, square or rectangular clay vessels with flat, clay lids.  At the Pueblos of New Mexico, there is a historic precedent for these square-shaped pieces that were typically used for holding corn meal for Pueblo dances.  These boxes, however, typically did not have lids, and more likely, carved or raised ends.

In the 1920s there was a revival of boxes at San Ildefonso at the same time as the “new” black-on-black style of pottery.  The boxes had flat sides, but later, some were cylindrical.  They were painted on each side and they had a flat lid with a handle. The style of the handle, and its direction, were often indicative of the potter.  While some boxes may still have been made for cornmeal, most were made to hold cigarettes, small cigars, or curious, for the newly arriving tourist trade.  The potters of San Ildefonso in the 1920s were each adept at making these pieces.

Boxes are difficult to make and crack in drying and firing.  The same with the flat lids.  Not surprisingly, over the past 100 years, the boxes have not fared well as they are often cracked or chipped.  The lids are often missing or damaged.  They are not only one of the most difficult and sought-after forms, but also one that is the least resilient to time.