Da, Tony – “Indian Market Turtle” with Mimbres Deer, Antelope, Lizard and Sculpted Lizard Lid (1974)
This is one of Tony Da’s most famous turtles. While Tony Da had a short career which spanned from 1967-82, he helped change the world of Pueblo pottery. He was among the first to begin etching into the surface of the pottery (sgraffito), adding stones, hei-shi and then began creating all matte carved vessels. His pottery today is considered to be among the most sought after by collectors and museum alike. While Tony made turtle shapes for his figurative pottery, he only made only around eight turtles with lids. This turtle is one of his most elaborate and is often referred to as the “Indian Market Turtle”. The body of the turtle has a red polished band that is etched with Mimbres deer, antelope, and a lizard. They are inset with stones after the firing, and then separated by even larger turquoise stone. The head of the turtle is also polsihed red and etched with design. The lid is what makes this piece so famous. It is one of Tony’s few sculpted lizard figures. The lizard is in relief on the lid and is stylized to have a realistic appearance. The sides the turtle have large turquoise stones inset after firing. It’s when you take off the lid, that you understand the name of the piece. Carved into the clay is “DA Santa Fe Indian Market 1974”, which is when this piece was made. It is an exciting piece of history in clay and visually extraordinary. This turtle is also signed on the foot in the clay, “DA”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. The piece is featured in the book, The Art and Life of Tony Da.
Tony made several types of turtles. His first ones were simple and did not have a lid. His first lidded turtle was a black one made in 1971. It is now in a museum collection. He made 3 or 4 red turtles with bear lids and silver insets between 1972-4. He made two other major lidded turtles during his career. One had a turtle lid and the other a lizard lid. The turtle with the lizard lid was probably his last turtle figure, as it has the most sculptural appearance and detail of any of his other lids. At this time, we do not know of any other black lidded turtles beyond the one made in 1971.
This is certainly a classic style of Tony’s pottery and even an early piece like this bowl reflects the impact he had, and continues to have, on Pueblo pottery. The pottery of Tony Da remains an important addition to any collection!
This is an iconic plate by Tony Da. Most of the smaller plates made by Tony Da between 1969 and 71 were either gunmetal or black-and-sienna in coloration. He made very few of the smaller plates in red. This one has a Mimbres antelope as the design. Tony would etch the designs into the clay before the pieces were fired. The animals were inspired by the Mimbres imagery from the 1100s. However, as with much of his work, Tony drew inspiration from these ancient works but did not copy them. His animals became “spirit animals” and note how the feet of the antelope are its tracks. The animal extends backward from the tracks to create a distinctive animal with a heartline. The antelope has a heartline and there is a single inset piece of turquoise. Tony would cut the space for the turquoise before the piece was fired and then inlay it after the firing. Around the edge of the plate are five painted lines. Tony had a short career that spanned from 1967-82. He helped change the world of Pueblo pottery. He was among the first to begin etching into the surface of the pottery (sgraffito), adding stones, hei-shi, and then began creating all matte carved vessels. His pottery today is considered to be among the most sought-after by collectors and museums alike. This plate is signed on the back in the clay, “DA”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. This is certainly a rarity and a classic style of Tony’s pottery and even an early piece like this plate reflects the impact he had and continues to have, on Pueblo pottery. The pottery of Tony Da remains an important addition to any collection!
Brand
Da, Tony (1940-2008)
