This a very detailed seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf.  It is from 1994 and is fully polished.  There are nine different Mimbres animals etched into the surface of the piece. There is a lot of design for a piece this size!  There is a large mountain lion on the top, along with a roadrunner and a rattlesnake.  There is a Mimbres bee, cricket, rabbit, lizard, and horned lizard as well!  Each has designs etched into their bodies.  Each is also highlighted with various clay slips for coloration.  There are pink, red, blue, white, and green clay used on this piece!  Near the base is a realistic butterfly.  There is also the yearly symbol for 1994.  The piece is very highly polished and intricately designed.  It is signed on the bottom, “Joseph Lonewolf”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. 

Joseph Lonewolf said of his use of Mimbres imagery in his pottery:

“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, 1974, 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.

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