It is very unusual that we come across a black-on-red piece by Tonita Roybal.  This bowl is an early piece from the 1920s.  Tonita and her mother, Dominguita Pino, were both very well known for their black-on-red pottery before the advent of the black-on-black pottery in 1920.  While numerous potters were making black-on-red pieces before 1920, Tonita was certainly among the best and her signed pieces in this style remain classics.  This bowl is one of her famous shapes with a sharp shoulder and sloping sides.  It is red with black mountain, cloud, and checkerboard designs.  It is a striking use of angular imagery on the jar. The bowl is signed, “Tonita” on the bottom. This is an earlier type of her signature.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  This bowl is an important and striking piece of her pottery both in terms of coloration and design.

Early San Ildefonso Pottery Innovators -1920-1940