This is an exceptional jar by Priscialla Namingha Nampeyo.  She was a great-granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano and granddaughter of Annie Healing,  She was also a sister of Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo. Priscilla was the matriarch of a family of renown potters, including Rachel, Bonnie, Nyla and Jean Sahmie.  Priscilla began making pottery when she was only seven years old, under the guidance of Nampeyo of Hano. This jar is thin walled and painted with the classic migration pattern.  It is one of those pieces that captures the essence of her pottery skill with very thin lines and a design which matches the shape.  Priscilla was known for her traditional work and this jar is simply one of her best.  It was traditionally fired and so it has blushes across the surface.  It is signed on the bottom “Priscilla Namingha Nampeyo”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a large bowl by Franklin Peters.  He is known for his thin-walled pottery and use of traditional Acoma imagery on his pottery. The bowl is coil built with native clay and painted with native slips. The design is a classic Acoma pattern with rain and cloud designs.  Note the very thinly painted fine-line designs. The rim of the jar has an extra coil which he has then corrugated. Look closely and you can see the three small indentions as the top of each of the semi-circles.  Franklin said that he carved a piece of wood with the three indentions to use for making the rim of the bowl. They are to represent the rain coming down at sunset. It is signed on the bottom.

Thomas Tenorio is from the Aguilar family of Kewa Pueblo.  Amazingly, he taught himself to make pottery!  This is a classic water jar with a round body and a turned out rim. The jar is painted with a red clay slip along with the black.  The area above the shoulder has the rounded flower petals.  Below the shoulder are the circular sun designs.  The jar is striking in appearance with the contrasting red and black coloration against the white clay slip.  The rim of the jar has a spirit line, or a space in the painting on the rim, which is seen in traditional Kewa pottery.  The piece is signed on the bottom.  It is from 2012 and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is very large bowl by Arthur and Hilda Coriz.  Hilda would coil build each piece and then they would be painted by Arthur. The painting was done with natural clay slips (white and red) and then wild spinach (black).  This striking large jar is painted with a classic Kewa (Santo Domingo) plant design encircling the piece.  Arthur alternated the direction the plants, giving the jar a more dramatic appearance.  The lower section is polished red and note on the base that the initial coils seem visible.  There is a “spirit line” or break in the painted design on the rim, which then extends down through the entire design!  This goes back to historic Kewa pottery when the artist would use the spirit line to release their spirit or connection from the vessel.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay. The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is not often that we see their pottery and especially with the use of such classic designs!

Jamie Peynetsa is the son of noted potters Anderson and Avelia Peynetsa.  Avelia, his mother, coil builds the clay vessel.  Jamie paints the design.  He has a strong attention to the detail of the painting as well as his inspiration from classic Zuni pottery.  This jar is very tightly painted with rain designs above the shoulder.  The thin lines are even and add complexity to the piece.  The sides of the jar are boldly painted with lightning patterns.  Note how well Jamie paints to match design and form.  It is signed by Jamie and his mother on the bottom.  At only 20 years old, he certainly has a great future in pottery!

This miniatures bowl by Art Cody Haungooah has been fired black and then two-toned on the neck.  The top part is etched with cloud and stylized bird designs. You can see the eye (the black dot) of one of the birds.  They are surrounded by rain and wind designs.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Irene Tse-Pe is a daughter of Dora Tse-Pe and Tse-Pe Gonzales and a granddaughter of Rose Gonzales.  This jar is coil built and carved with cloud pattern around the neck. The carving is in the cameo style made famous by Rose. The jar is slipped with mica to the surface which gives it a bit of a sparkle in the light!  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Irene Tse-Pe”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  While Irene no longer makes pottery, it is certainly a striking piece of her creative pottery!

This is an exceptional jar by Paul Naranjo.  It is fully polished to a glassy surface.  Honestly, one of the toughest pieces to photograph!  However, the polish is amazing and the entire surface of the jar is fully polished!  There are two maidens in traditional dress and they are separated by an eagle head.  There is a water serpent in the background, which is a designs often used by Paul on the background of his pieces.  Along the neck and the base are kiva step designs, and there are plant patterns around the base as well.  Paul fired his pottery a dark, chocolate color, for which he was well known. His pieces can be seen in the “Beyond Traditions” book by Jerry Jacka.  The jar has unique color variations in the brown which further enhance the designs.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  The jar also won a ribbon at the 1987 Gallup Ceremonials, which adds to its important provenance.

Erik Fender is the son of Martha Appleleaf and the grandson of noted potter Carmelita Dunlap. Erik combines classic San Ildefonso imagery with his own creative style. His pottery is signed, with his Tewa name, “Than Tsideh”.  This is a classic San Ildefonso water jar with a high shoulder.  The design is painted on the polished surface. There is a feather pattern separated by a rain and cloud design.  Note the precision of his painting!  It is nearly perfect! Around the shoulder is a cloud pattern.  The jar is fired a distinctive coloration.  It is signed on the bottom.

This Zuni carving by Lena Boone is made from glass.  The mountain lion is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back.  The glass is a clear, white and pink coloration.

This Zuni carving by Lena Boone is made from glass.  The mountain lion is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back.  The glass is a deep red coloration.

This Zuni carving by Daphne Quam is made from glass.  The mountain lion is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back.  The glass has a green, blue, yellow and clear coloration.

This Zuni carving by Daphne Quam is made from glass.  The badger is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back.  The glass has a green, blue and clear coloration.

This Zuni carving by Daphne Quam is made from sodalite.  The badger is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back.  The sodalite has a deep blue and white coloration.

This Zuni carving by Daphne Quam is made from azurite.  The eagle is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back.  The azurite has a deep blue coloration with specs of green.

This Zuni carving by Herbert Pincion is carved from spotted travertine.  It is a highly detailed carving with a mare and sitting foal.  For the size, it is wonderfully detailed!

Vickie Quandelacy is a sister of Stuart Quandelacy and daughter of Dickie and Amy Quandelacy.  She is known for her complex design of corn maidens.  This corn maiden is is a classic of her style.  It is double sided and carved from mother of pearl shell. On one side is the Zuni maiden with an inlaid necklace.  The other side has the corn maiden and the inlaid necklace and dragonflies.  The piece is set on a shell base.

Vickie Quandelacy is a sister of Stuart Quandelacy and daughter of Dickie and Amy Quandelacy.  She is known for her complex design of corn maidens.  This corn maiden is carved out of green snail shell.  She has captured the shape of the shell and etched the corn design and dragonflies in as the design.  The back has the etched hair and more dragonflies.  The piece is set onto a piece of turquoise.  The opalescene of the shell is striking on this piece!

Calvin Analla learned to  make pottery from his sister, Yvonne Lucas and her husband, Steve Lucas.  This large water jar is thin walled and made with the traditional red clay from Laguna Pueblo. The jar is painted with bee-weed, into which he has mixed some mica.  The mica makes reflections in the clay.  Calvin is known for his very delicately painted designs.  This jar has cloud designs above the shoulder and plant designs below.  The thin lines painted with the bee-weed show create a striking contrast with the red clay.  It is signed on the bottom.

This is an exceptionally detailed Zuni carving by Derrick Kaamasee.  It is carved from turquoise. There is an elk standing up on a rock.  There is detail in the fur and the movement.  It is signed on the bottom.

Spoken Through Clay

A NEW  RELEASE SPECIAL:  $95.00, including shipping (US)! Check out the new review in the Denver Post!

 Just a few things which make this book unique!

*   The size!  The book is 11.75″ x 14.25″ and weights over 8 pounds!
*  The photography of the pottery is stunning, emphasizing the individual pieces.
*  Each caption is the artist discussing the individual piece on the page.
*  The artist “biographies” are from interviews with the artists and they discuss their art, culture, lives and history.
*  Organization: The book is not organized by pueblo or family, but entails new ways to think about the future of Native pottery.
*  Printing in Italy gives the book very high quality color and paper.
* The photos of the living artists were taken by Will Wilson using a tin-type process. He was a recipient of the 2107 New Mexico Governor’s Award for the Arts in photography!
*  The book features work by more than 30 contemporary potters and more than a dozen important historic potters.
*  There are essays by myself, Peter Held and Eric Dobkin.  They add to the overall understanding of the project a historic perspective.

_____________________________________________

August 18, Pasatiempo Review

“Charles S. King’s new book, Spoken Through Clay: Native Pottery in the Southwest, The Eric S. Dobkin Collection, is spectacularly heavy —which is a problem from a practical standpoint, because once you open it, you won’t want to put it down. With dreamy tintype artist portraits by Diné photographer Will Wilson, dazzlingly crisp images from Addison Doty, and intimate first-person essays written by dozens of artists, the book is a visually delicious, intellectually consuming foray into historic and contemporary Southwestern pottery. In short, prepare to swoon.

“It’s one of the things that makes us who we are. It’s what holds our family together. We are a family of potters. It’s our identity. People don’t realize how much work goes into it just processing the clay and making it. You have to do it with your heart.”—Linda Tafoya-Sanchez

FEATURED ARTISTS Grace Medicine Flower • Dextra Quotskuyva • Autumn Borts-Medlock • Jody Naranjo • Harrison Begay Jr. • Jordan Roller • Sara Fina Tafoya • Lonnie Vigil • Margaret Tafoya • Steve Lucas • LuAnn Tafoya • Loren Ami • Toni Roller • Popovi Da • Linda Tafoya-Sanchez • Mark Tahbo • James Ebelacker• Yvonne Lucas • Jeff Roller • Lisa Holt • Harlan Reano • Nampeyo • Jacquie Stevens • Nathan Youngblood • Jacob Koopee Jr. • Jennifer Moquino • Christopher Youngblood • Maria Martinez • Tony Da • Tammy Garcia • Virgil Ortiz • Joseph Lonewolf • Johnathan Naranjo • Nancy Youngblood • Les Namingha • Russell Sanchez • Christine McHorse • Richard Zane Smith • Rondina Huma • Susan Folwell • Dominique Toya • Jody Folwell

Spoken Through Clay features the pottery of iconic Native American artists from historic potters Nampeyo and Maria Martinez, to contemporary potters Tammy Garcia, Virgil Ortiz, and many others, are featured in a new book published by the Museum of New Mexico Press. Spoken Through Clay: Native Pottery of the Southwest showcases nearly three hundred pottery vessels from the acclaimed Eric S. Dobkin Collection, covering a wide range of mostly Pueblo artists from the Southwest.

“The physical scale of the vessels combined with the depth of the contemporary collection [is] breathtaking,” says author Charles S. King. The book is part of a “transitional process of looking to the clay, the vessel, and the potter’s voice and allowing the pieces to stand on the merit of their artistic integrity.”

The book includes portraits and voices of renowned potters speaking about their artistry and technique, families, culture, and traditions. Many of the artists are connected by Pueblos, generations, or family members. Dynamic color photography captures the depth and dimension of the pieces, while the artists provide an illuminating perspective through narrative captions. Artists, academics, collectors, family members, and gallerists add additional insight about the lives, historical context, and importance of these potters and their work.

SPOKEN THROUGH CLAY Native Pottery of the Southwest The Eric S. Dobkin Collection
By Charles S. King Essay by Peter Held

Artist portraits by Will Wilson
ISBN: 978-0-89013-624-9

352 pages, 320 color plates, 40 artist portraits

Publication Date: August 01, 2017
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Charles S. King is the author of Born of Fire: The Life and Pottery of Margaret Tafoya, The Life and Art of Tony Da, Virgil Ortiz: Revolt 1680/2180, and numerous articles on Pueblo pottery. He has served on boards of art associations, judged pottery at prestigious events, and lectures about the art form. His business King Galleries represents many of today’s leading Native potters and important historic works in clay. Charles lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Jody Folwell is known for her creative pottery shapes and designs.  This is a very tall jar and the rim has an asymmetrical form, for which she is known. The jar is polished with a slip which fired a greenish-brown. There are lightning patterns across the surface which are a matte red.  Around the entire jar are a series of etched wolves and buffalo.  Some are etched and some are just painted with a white clay slip.  They are in different directions and different degrees of motion.  The size and coloration with the green, red and white is striking.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Jody”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This Zuni carving is by Freddie Leekya.  The bird is carved from travertine.  There are turquoise inlay for the eyes and on the wings.  The beak is mother of pearl.

This Zuni carving by Tim Lementino.  It is a group of five bears carved from pipestone.  They each have turquoise eyes.  There is a bundle holding them together from shell and turquoise.

Carol Velarde is known for her deeply carved pottery. This  bowl is deeply carved with a rain and lightning design.  Note how deeply she carves into the clay relative to the size of the bowl!  After it is carved and polished she then uses clay to outline the design.  Visually, this makes the imagery more dramatic.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Bernice Naranjo is known for her innovative incised pottery.  This seedpot is fully polished and fired brown.  She has etched a series of lizards on the surface of the piece. Some are placed sitting on the red polished clay and others on fine-line etched sections reminiscent of the sand or pottery shards.  The piece is signed on the bottom.

This seedpot by Dean Haungooah is highly detailed complicated sgraffito designs. The seedpot has a fish on one side and a Tewa sun on the other.  There are additional Mimbres insects along with a pueblo wall.  The etching on the surface is on different levels, creating matte and polished designs. There is a single inset piece of shell bead for the eye of the fish.  The seedpot is from 1993 and it is signed, “Dean Haungooah”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Andrew Pacheco is a nephew of noted potter Robert Tenorio.  He is known for his use of traditional techniques and materials but with non-traditional designs.  This is one of his asymmetrical jars with dinosaurs as the designs.  He started out making traditional Kewa pottery but was interested in dinosaurs. They quickly became a theme on his pottery. It is the combination of the dinosaurs and the form which work perfectly together and create a sense of movement to the piece.  The jar is painted with native clays and bee-weed and traditionally fired.

Elijah Naranjo learned to make pottery from his mother Dolly Naranjo and sister Jody Naranjo.  He works in a similar style with the sgraffito designs and brown firing. This small seedpot has a Mimbres style lizard on the top.  It is fully polished and there are additional feather designs in the clay. The seedpot is from 2000.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Jessie Garcia is one of the great Matriarchal revivalist potters of the 1970’s. Between 1950 and 1970, she along with Lucy Lewis and Marie Z. Chino, led the revival of Acoma pottery.  There is a history of owl figures at Acoma but most are smaller and few are as detailed as the work by Jessie Garica.  This large owl is coil built, hollow and very light!  It is painted with the red clay slip and bee-weed (black) and traditionally fired. The entire surface is fully painted to create the feathers and the eyes are painted with the reflection of the moon.  The owl is signed under the wing.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is an excellent piece of her figurative pottery.

Darlene learned to make pottery from her aunts, Dextra and Priscilla.  Her pottery is more traditional in style and she continues to use Hopi clay for her pottery and paint with bee-weed for the black.  This is a charming set she has made with two small bowls made with the Hopi red clay.  They are affixed to two clay “rock” slabs.  She said she had made the miniatures and thought they were more interesting as a group, as if they were sitting out on the rocks at Hopi.  It has been traditionally fired to create the variations in color on the surface.  It is signed on the back.

Dolores Aragon is known for her miniature pottery. This small seedpot is painted with a flower pattern on the top. The design extends outward with additional flower petals.  While it is small, it is beautifully painted!  It is signed on the bottom.