This is an unusual carved bowl by Tomasita Montoya.  She was one of the early revivalists in San Juan pottery. This jar is both incised and carved.  The rim and base are fully polished red.  The rim is slightly indented in seven areas to give it a “fluted” appreance.  The design has carved clouds, rain and plate designs. They are deeply carved into the clay in the later (post Potsuwi’i revival) style.  What is unusual is the coloration.  In addition to the white, tan, black, and red, there are sections of gray.  Most likely she combined the white and black clay slips to create the gray areas.  While I’ve seen others by her daughter, Dominguita, with a similar coloration, I’ve seen very few by Tomasita with this striking color combination.  The bowl is in excellent condition with no cracks, restoration, or repair.  It is signed, “Tomasita Montoya” on the bottom.   

Tomasita 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.

“Revival Rising” Ohkay Owingeh Pottery 1930s-60s