This is a pair of clay turtles Margaret and Luther Gutierrez.  Each has been carved on its back (shell).  Each of the carved squares on the back is then painted with a different design.   The larger turtle is from the 1960s.  The back has a parrot, roadrunner, crab, quail, frog, butterfly, spider, and other figures.  There are 10 different squares.  The smaller turtle also has 10 squares with insects, figures, a frog, roadrunner and fish. They each have a wonderful array of imagery and there is certainly a whimsical sense to their work with the face of the turtle! Each turtle is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  They are signed on the bottom, “Margaret/Luther”.

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.