Lonewolf, Joseph – “Colorful Quail” Tall Seedpot with Quail and Realistic Butterflies (1985)
$ 2,000.00
This is a tall seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf. He began making pottery in 1970-1, and this piece is from 1985. The seedpot is fully polished and fired red. There is a large quail on the top of the piece. It has a Mimbres appearance yet with a more realistic head. It is surrounded by 11 realistic butterflies. Each butterfly is in a different state of motion. Near the base are two classic Mimbres quail etched into the clay. All the sgraffito designs are done before the piece is fired. The seedpot is highlighted with green, blue, white, and yellow clay slips. It is a colorful and creative piece. Near the base is the yearly symbol for 1985, a star. The seedpot is signed on the bottom, “Joseph Lonewolf”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
It gives me a funny feeling when people tell me I’ve done something brand new and different. I’ve just figured out all over again what potters did centuries ago. But it is NOT new as people like to say it is. Such colors were achieved in pre-history times by my ancestors. I regard the Mimbres as my ancestors. Though I refine their designs, each design must have meaning for me. In my dreams I see how to use the design, how to make the pot happen. Then when I work the clay, everything flows. Some people wonder why I keep changing styles, colors, forms. But I can’t just sit there and make pots. Like any artist I must try different things, different techniques. I must meet the challenge with my hands. The patterns and the methods I see in my mind during my dreams.”—Joseph Lonewolf, Spoken Through Clay
Deciphered: The Yearly Symbols of Joseph Lonewolf
In stock
This is a tall seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf. He began making pottery in 1970-1, and this piece is from 1985. The seedpot is fully polished and fired red. There is a large quail on the top of the piece. It has a Mimbres appearance yet with a more realistic head. It is surrounded by 11 realistic butterflies. Each butterfly is in a different state of motion. Near the base are two classic Mimbres quail etched into the clay. All the sgraffito designs are done before the piece is fired. The seedpot is highlighted with green, blue, white, and yellow clay slips. It is a colorful and creative piece. Near the base is the yearly symbol for 1985, a star. The seedpot is signed on the bottom, “Joseph Lonewolf”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
It gives me a funny feeling when people tell me I’ve done something brand new and different. I’ve just figured out all over again what potters did centuries ago. But it is NOT new as people like to say it is. Such colors were achieved in pre-history times by my ancestors. I regard the Mimbres as my ancestors. Though I refine their designs, each design must have meaning for me. In my dreams I see how to use the design, how to make the pot happen. Then when I work the clay, everything flows. Some people wonder why I keep changing styles, colors, forms. But I can’t just sit there and make pots. Like any artist I must try different things, different techniques. I must meet the challenge with my hands. The patterns and the methods I see in my mind during my dreams.”
—Joseph Lonewolf, Spoken Through Clay
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Lonewolf, Joseph (1932-2014)
Joseph Lonewolf
Joseph Lonewolf was a son of noted potters Camilio and Agapita Tafoya and the brother of Grace Medicine Flower. In the early 1970s, Joseph revolutionized the world of Santa Clara pottery by incorporating his sgraffito (lightly etching the surface of the clay) and incised (more deeply cut into the clay) designs in his work.
When Joseph and his family gather clay, they do it with the utmost respect. Before the clay can be taken from Mother Earth, they must say a prayer, asking to take the clay and tell the clay mother that they will take her and make her into a beautiful pot. The clay is brought home, and water is added to turn the clay into a liquid form known as slip. The slip is then strained to take out any rocks or debris, and then the clay can be dried, kneaded, and used.
Joseph was awarded numerous awards throughout his career, and his work can be found in museums worldwide. He has been featured in multiple books, including "The Art of Clay." He received the prestigious New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2009 and the SWAIA Lifetime Achievement Award.