Gonzales, Barbara – Large Polychrome Bowl with Avanyu, Pottery Shapes, and Inset Stones

9"w x 5.25"h

$ 1,600.00

Barbara Gonzales is a great-great-granddaughter of Maria Martinez.  She is known for her innovative pottery which combines etched designs with inset stones.  This is one of her few polychrome pieces.  Her polychrome pottery is a reflection of the early polychrome pieces by Maria Martinez.  The bowl is coil-built and then slipped with mica on the outside and red clay on the inside.  The outside is painted before it is fired.  There are clouds around the rim of the bowl.  Around the shoulder is an avanyu encircling the piece. Note above the avanyu there are additional clouds and below each cloud is a different pottery shape!  Each of the five pottery shapes is a different form and each has an inset piece of coral or turquoise.  The eye of the avanyu has an inset turquoise and there are two coral insets in the horn of the avanyu.  Below the avanyu are elongated clouds with more coral insets!  The inside of the bowl has a single painted spider.   Barbara says she uses spiders as they are good luck symbols.  There are additional coral and turquoise insets throughout the piece.  The bottom of the piece is signed in the clay, “Than-Moo-Whe”, which is her name in Tewa.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.