Sanchez, Desideria – Bowl with Bird Wing Motif (1930s)

Desideria Montoya Sanchez was a sister of noted potter Maria Martinez.  She was known for her traditional pottery and the use of both classic and innovative designs. This bowl is painted with a bird wing pattern.  It is a variation of designs seen in earlier San Ildefonso pottery (note the hatchwork section).  By the 1930s, much of the earlier imagery was often stylized, such as the feather pattern at the round end of the wing.  The bowl was fired with to a near gunmetal appearance.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Desideria”.

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Sanchez, Desideria Montoya (1889 - 1982)

Desideria Montoya Sanchez was a sister of noted potter Maria Martinez.  She often worked with her husband Donicio, who painted some of her pottery.  Three of her five children, including Juanita Roybal, Pilar Aguilar, and Santiago Sanchez, did not continue in the pottery-making tradition.  However, Santiago’s wife, Angelita Sanchez is a well-known potter.   She also created elegant black-on-black pottery, but her forms and painted designs are distinctly different from those of Maria & Julian.