Montoya, Tomasita – 8″ Tall Jar with Potsuwi’i and Seed Designs (1970s)
$ 600.00
This is a large jar by Tomasita Montoya. The rim and base are fully polished red. The piece has a low shoulder and elongated neck. The neck of the jar is carved with seed and rain designs that are highlighted with red, white, and tan clay. The body of the jar has incised in the Potsuwi’i style with thin lines that are then slipped with mica It is a very complex and creative piece that combines two different era’s of Ohkay Owingeh pottery styles in one large vessel! This jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tomasita Montoya”.
Tomasita Montoya was one of the early revivalists in San Juan pottery. She was one of the original Eight San Juan potters who revived the art form in the 1930s. The Pueblo was renown for their pottery but by about 1890 there were no potters left. In 1930 Regina Cata organized a pottery study group at San Juan Pueblo with the intent of revitalizing pottery production. The group studied ancient potsherds of wares made at San Juan in earlier times and selected Potsuwi‘i Incised Ware (1450-1500) as a basis for a contemporary pottery type.
In stock
This is a large jar by Tomasita Montoya. The rim and base are fully polished red. The piece is in the shape of a storage jar, with a round body and short neck. This shape is always a difficult one to make, and it also creates a lot of surface area for design. The top and bottom are incised in the Potsuwi’i style with thin lines that are then slipped with mica. The top band represents rain while the bottom band are mountains. The large central band is deeply carved into the clay with cloud patterns. They are then higlighted with red clay. It is a very complex and creative piece that combines two different era’s of Ohkay Owingeh pottery styles in one large vessel! This jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Tomasita Montoya”.
Tomasita Montoya was one of the early revivalists in San Juan pottery. She was one of the original Eight San Juan potters who revived the art form in the 1930s. The Pueblo was renown for their pottery but by about 1890 there were no potters left. In 1930 Regina Cata organized a pottery study group at San Juan Pueblo with the intent of revitalizing pottery production. The group studied ancient potsherds of wares made at San Juan in earlier times and selected Potsuwi‘i Incised Ware (1450-1500) as a basis for a contemporary pottery type.
Brand
Montoya, Tomasita (1899-1978)
Tomasita Montoya was one of the original 7 San Juan potters who revived the art form in the 1930's. Her daughters Rosita de Herrera and Dominguita Herrera learned to make pottery from her.
The Pueblo had a wonderful history of pottery making, but by about 1890 there were no potters left. In 1930 Regina Cata organized a pottery study group at San Juan Pueblo with the intent of revitalizing pottery production. The group studied ancient potsherds of wares made at San Juan in earlier times and selected Potsuwi‘i Incised Ware (1450-1500) as a basis for a contemporary pottery type. By the late 1930s, further development resulted in deeply-carved polychrome wares, and incised wares, both of which are still being produced today.
Tomasita was especially known for her incised red ware jars, bowls, and vases. The decoration on these vessels was primarily fine line geometric hatching. On occasion she utilized micaceous clay, adding some texture and sparkle to the geometric elements. Tomasita also made deeply carved polychrome pieces which included designs of clouds, kiva steps, and plants.