This is a tall water jar by Margaret & Luther Gutierrez.  Margaret would make the pottery and her brother Luther would paint the designs using natural clay slips.  This jar has a low shoulder and handles that extend from the shoulder to the rim. The handles are painted with lightning designs.  The jar has a very complex and colorful design. Each side has two birds separated by a figure.  There are at least six different colors of clay used on this jar!  It is certainly Luther’s painting at its best with the tight lines and complexity of small imagery making up the bodies of the birds.  All the various colors are from natural clay slips and this was a signature style of their work. The jar is signed on the bottom, “Margaret / Luther”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.

Brand

Gutierrez, Luther (1911-1987)

Luther Gutierrez

Luther Gutierrez (1911-1987) was a son of noted potters, Lela and Van Gutierrez. He began painting his mother's pottery in 1956. They worked together until 1966, and then he began painting the pottery of his sister, Margaret. Their pieces are signed, "Margaret/Luther." Over the years they won numerous awards for their distinctive polychrome pottery.

Gutierrez, Margaret (1936-2018)

Margaret Gutierrez

Margaret Gutierrez (1936-2018) and her brother Luther (1911-1987) learned to make pottery from their parents, Lela and Van Gutierrez. Margaret and Luther won numerous awards for their polychrome pottery. They were one of the few families to keep this important polychrome pottery tradition alive at Santa Clara Pueblo. Their pieces are signed on the bottom, "Margaret/Luther". They won numerous awards for their pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market and been featured in various books on Pueblo pottery including the classic 1974 Arizona Highways.