Roybal, Tonita – Clay Box with Checkerboard Design (1920s)

5.5" long x 3.75"h x 5"h (w/ lid)

$ 3,000.00

Tonita Roybal remains one of the great innovative names in San Ildefonso pottery.  This is one of her few clay boxes.  It is rectangular in shape and fully polished.  The lid has a cloud and rain design. The sides have a checkerboard pattern on the long sides and a tightly painted rain design on the short sides.  It is a complex and striking design!  Interestingly, on the inside of the box, there are two parallel lines incised into the clay before firing. There are also two parallel lines on the bottom of the lid. I’ve heard lots of stories about why there are these symbols, but it is most likely that they served two purposes.  One is to match up lids and boxes after firing.  The other is to show a direction where the lid fits correctly.  It also helps us today to make sure that the correct lid is with the correct box!  The box is signed on the bottom, “Tonita” in her earliest style of tight signature from the early 1920s.  The box is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.

Why Boxes?

There has long been a fascination with boxes, that is to say, square or rectangular clay vessels with flat, clay lids.  At the Pueblos of New Mexico, there is a historic precedent for these square-shaped pieces that were typically used for holding corn meal for Pueblo dances.  These boxes, however, typically did not have lids, and more likely, carved or raised ends.

In the 1920s there was a revival of boxes at San Ildefonso at the same time as the “new” black-on-black style of pottery.  The boxes had flat sides, but later, some were cylindrical.  They were painted on each side and they had a flat lid with a handle. The style of the handle, and its direction, were often indicative of the potter.  While some boxes may still have been made for cornmeal, most were made to hold cigarettes, small cigars, or curious, for the newly arriving tourist trade.  The potters of San Ildefonso in the 1920s were each adept at making these pieces.

Boxes are difficult to make and crack in drying and firing.  The same with the flat lids.  Not surprisingly, over the past 100 years, the boxes have not fared well as they are often cracked or chipped.  The lids are often missing or damaged.  They are not only one of the most difficult and sought-after forms, but also one that is the least resilient to time.