Vigil, Evelyn – Large Birds and Clouds Open Bowl (1980s)

13.25"w x 5"h

$ 1,075.00

The story of Evelyn Vigil and her revival of Pecos pottery is a fascinating one. In 1838, the last 38 residents of Pecos Pueblo (north of Santa Fe) moved to Jemez Pueblo. According to the New Mexico Historic Marker (see third to last photo) Evelyn was a descendant of Pecos Pueblo.  Pecos Pueblo was the only pueblo that created actual glazes for their pottery from 1200-1700.  In 1975 Evelyn began volunteering at the Pecos Pueblo site and had access to the original clays, tempers, and firing techniques to revive the glazed pottery.  It took her over five years of experimentation to create the glazes and she made very few of them during her career.  

This open bowl is coil built and has clay-painted designs. It is an open bowl in the style of Pecos pottery.  The body of the piece is fully stone polished on the front and back.  The outside has birds and the inside mountain, rain, and cloud designs.  They are painted with red and black clays.  The bowl was traditionally fired so there are blushes on the bottom.   The bowl is signed on the bottom EMV, Jemez.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration with a few small surface scratches on the rim.  The last two photos are ones I took at the Pecos Historic Site, of the Pueblo as well as one of the glazed jars.