Curran, Alvin – Bowl with Rabbit and Antelope Design (1999)

6"w x 5.75"h

$ 1,500.00

Alvin Curran was possibly the most refined and sophisticated Ohkay Owingeh style potter of his generation. He was married to Dolores Curran and his daughter is Ursula Curran, both of whom continue to make pottery.  Alvin took the traditional style of incised San Juan polychrome pottery and refined his carving and painted designs.  Each piece is fully carved and then red and white clay slips are added to create the color.  Amazingly, each year at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market, he would enter his pottery in the “carved” categories and win against much more deeply carved and fully polished traditional Santa Clara pottery.  It was a reflection of the precision of his work. This is one of the larger and more complicated pieces we have seen of his work. The bowl has a carved antelope on one side and a rabbit on the other.  Separating them are complex feather and cloud patterns.  The rim and base of the bowl are both fully polished. The designs are precision cut into the clay before firing.  The detail and the coloration of the various clays is striking on this piece!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Alvin Curran”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.