Artist Media Series
Living Artists
Historic
$ 800.00
Lela Gutierrez began making pottery in the 1930s with her husband, Van Gutierrez. After Van passed away in 1956, she continued to make pottery with her son, Luther Gutierrez. This is one of their classic wedding vases. The avanyu is painted onto the surface with various colors of clay. If you look closely, you can see a little stick figure deer, or a fish, in the designs. The colorations of the clays and the style of the avanyu place it in the early 1940s. The blue-colored clay was used by a variety of potters at that time. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. It is signed, “Lela Van” on the bottom.
In stock
Lela Gutierrez began making pottery in the 1930s with her husband, Van Gutierrez. After Van passed away in 1956 she continued to make pottery with her son, Luther Gutierrez. This bowl is one of their classic shapes. It is a round shape and is designed with an old-style avanyu and a deer and star pattern. It is sometimes the little details that are so intriguing in Van’s painting! The colorations of the clays place it in the late 1930s or early 1940s. The purple-colored clay was used by a variety of potters at that time. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. . It is signed, “Lela Van” on the bottom.
Artist Media Series
Living Artists

Lela Gutierrez & Van Gutierrez began making polychrome pottery in the early 1930s. There had been a tradition of doing polychrome work at the Pueblo, but few potters continued to paint in this style, and the popularity of the black-on-black pottery quickly overtook it. Lela would make the pottery, and Van would paint the designs using native clay slips. Lela and Van's pottery have influenced potters to this day, including descendant Jason Garcia, who continues in a similar polychrome pottery style, updated for the new century. Lela and Van's work can be found in museums nationwide.
UPDATED NOTE: We have corrected the birth year for Van Gutierrez to 1885 from further research through both SS and Census dates.
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