Carol Velarde is known for her deeply carved pottery. This  bowl is deeply carved with a classic kiva step pattern.  The design over the steps is a rainbow.  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.

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.

Clarissa Tafoya learned to make pottery from her mother Rose Tafoya and her grandmother, Lucaria Tafoya.  She is married to Timothy Roller, a son of Toni Roller.  This jar is carved with a water serpent encircling the shoulder of the piece.  Below the avanyu there are water designs. The jar is deeply carved and fired a deep black.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Carol Velarde is known for her deeply carved pottery. This jar is carved with a water serpent around the body of the piece.  In this style, Carol’s work is distinguishable as she usually carves into the negative space for her designs.  Note as well how deeply they are carved and the clay outline of the carved areas.  The high polished creates a visual contrast to the matte of the carved and painted areas.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Rose Gutierrez is a daughter of noted potter Helen Gutierrez and a sister of Geraldine Gutierrez and Kathy Gutierrez.  This is a simple bowl with a flower motif around the rim painted with cream colored clay.   The side of bowl has a painted spider as well as one on the inside. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Geraldine Gutierrez is a daughter of noted potter Helen Gutierrez.  Geraldine is known for her use of traditional pottery designs.  This bowl is polished red and has a painted avanyu (water serpent), as the design.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Denise Chavarria is a daughter of noted potter Stella Chavarria and a granddaughter of Christina Naranjo.  This jar has vertical melon ribs. On one section there is a Lightning band. The jar is highly polished and fired it a deep black.  It is signed on the bottom.

Lucy Martinez is known for her traditional style San Ildefonso pottery.  This jar is highly polished and painted with a feather pattern around the neck. Around the shoulder is a cloud pattern.  Typically she would make the pottery and it would be polished by her husband, Richard. The jar is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Lucy M.”.

There are a deer and Big Horn Sheep on each side of the jar.  Separating are a Deer Dancer and a Ram Dancer.  The jar captures connection between the animals and the dancers who portray them in various Pueblo ceremonies.  Flowing through the background of the jar is a water serpent (avanyu), which ties the entire piece together.  The area where he has etched away the polished surface he has then scraped down to create a striking contrast between the polished and matte surface.  The color from the firing on this jar is a dark brown.  Luciano is definitely one of those younger potters to watch!

Teresa Gutierrez is known for  her deep carved pottery using complex designs.  This wedding vase has a rain and kiva step pattern on the front, back and sides.  Note the depth of the carving on her pottery as well as the use of the outlined designs!  The handle is twisted and fully polished.  The wedding vase is signed on the bottom.

This seedpot by Dean Haungooah is highly detailed complicated sgraffito designs. The seedpot has a Mimbres inspired fox on the top of the piece. The fox has additional clay slips for the various colors.  Surrounding the fox are cloud and rain designs.  The top of the seedpot is matte while the bottom is polished.  The piece is signed on the side at the base.  It is from 1999 and it is signed, “Dean Haungooah”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

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.

This jar is a new design by Ida Shamie.  Her work utilized traditional Navajo imagery for her patterns.  The jar has four rug patterns painted on the shoulder using bee-weed (a plant) to create the black.  The neck of the jar is polished with a red clay slip.  Separating the rug designs are etched mesa patterns.  The jar has been traditionally fired.  Ida is a daughter-in-law of Priscilla Nampeyo.  She has won numerous awards for her pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market.  She is the only Navajo potter creating this unique style of ethnographic pottery.

This jar is a new design by Ida Shamie.  Her work utilized traditional Navajo imagery for her patterns.  The jar has one side which has a Night Dance and the other which has the Day Dance.  The figures are male Yei-bi-chi dancers encircling the jar.  On the night side, the background area is fully painted with bee-weed (a plant) to make it black.  In the center image above is the fire around which the dancers are circling.  It is a wonderful attempt to create a “3D” story on the vessel!  The Day scene has the clouds and the mesa in the background.  What truly makes her work so distinctive is that the figures are not just painted, but they are also etched into the clay!  The faces and the designs on the kilts are also all etched into the clay!  Note as well the cloud design around the rim, which is the design on the Navajo wedding baskets.  One of our favorite parts, however, is near the base of the jar and the shadows she paints of the dancers!  Ida is a daughter-in-law of Priscilla Nampeyo.  She has won numerous awards for her pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market.  She is the only Navajo potter creating this unique style of ethnographic pottery.

Tse-Pe Gonzales as a son of noted potter Rose Gonzales.  This jar combines the various techniques for which he was well known.  The jar has a round body and a small neck.  There body of the piece is a matte earth colored nearly-pinkish clay, which comes from near Abique, NM.  The central medallion of the jar is polished green and has a Dance figure and a bear paw as the design.  The etching is tight and the stippling of the background is a visual signature to Tse-Pe’s technique.  It is signed on the bottom with Tse-Pe’s hallmark. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This bowl by Teresa Gutierrez is very tightly carved with a water serpent as the design.  The bowl is polished red and then the traditional cream colored clay slip is applied into the background areas.  This creates a more dramatic contrast of coloration with the matte and polished surfaces.

Camille “Hisi” Quotskuyva learned to make pottery from her mother, Dextra Quotskuyva, a sister of noted painter Dan Namingha and a descendant of Nampeyo of Hano, Annie Healing and Rachel Nampeyo.  She is known for her use of traditional imagery and the delicate painting of her designs.  This wide shoulder jar has a fully painted design with a stylized eagle tail pattern.  The red areas are fully polished with a red clay slip.  Note the intricacy and precision of the design!  The jar is signed on the bottom and dated 1-1995.  Note the subtle variations in color from the firing.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Dorothy Ami is a cousin of noted potter Mark Tahbo. This is one of her larger jars.  It is intricately painted with a series of Hopi birds encircling the piece.  The top and bottom have triangular geometric patterns. The birds are painted with red, burdundy and while clay slips. The black is bee-weed (a plant).  The large size and the dynamic designs flow beautifully on the surface of this piece!  It has been traditionally fired so there are blushes on the surface. It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Susan “Snowflake” Romero’s pottery is highly polished and intricately etched with detailed imagery.  Many of her skills are ones that she learned from her father, Joseph Lonewolf. This seedpot has a realistic buffalo etched onto the top of the piece.  On the sides are buffalo tracks and two petroglyph style buffalo.  Note also how Susan has etched her pottery. The polished red is the surface, and then she often etches just the polished area away to reveal the matte red and the going deeper, there is the tan of the clay.  It is very complicated and time consuming to etch in this manner!  However, the results are exceptional.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay with her Tewa name, “Pho-sa-We”.  It is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair and signed on the bottom.

Seferina Bell has long  been considered one of the great Zia potters of the 20th century.  This is a classic jar with birds on two sides.  Above the birds are the classic Zia rainbow with the red clay slip.  Separating the birds are a star pattern with the red band above and below.  The bowl was slipped with the white clay and painted with the red clay and which is polished.  There is a beautiful patina to the surface of this small bowl!  It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair but there is a slight lean to the form.  It is signed on the bottom with her hallmark, a bell.

Jamie Zane Smith creates dynamic pieces which combine strong forms with stamped surface designs. This striking jar is made with Oklahoma clay and coil built.  Jamie carves a stamp out of wood and uses that to texture his pottery.  This jar has a water swirl pattern to complement the water jar form.  The rim has swirl carved designs extending down the neck.  The top is carved in a traditional Iroquois style cooking vessel with the square edged sections on the top.  It’s the surface which is most interesting.  It is polished to give it the appearance of leather!  The inside of the neck is also fully burnished. The jar is thin walled and beautifully constructed.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Jamie brings together a multitude of dimensions in his work blending the historic past with his modern visions.  Jamie remains one of the young creative potters bringing life to the clay in an area outside the southwest.

This bowl is unsigned jar is from the 1920’s.  It has a high shoulder and a slight neck.  The jar is indented with melon “ribs” around the shoulder.  They are pushed into the clay in the classic melon rib style. Typical of pieces from the early 1920’s, the jar is fully polished on the inside of the neck and also on the base.  It is fascinating to see such a classic style from this period and see how it has been reinterpreted today with both melon and ribbed jars. The piece is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  There are some surface scratches and wear typical of a piece this age. However, note the great condition of the bottom of this piece, which has very few scratches and reflects the care taken of it over the years!

Adelle Nampeyo is known for her stylistic use of traditional Hopi designs.  This bowl has a migration pattern or bird wing design above the shoulder.  The design is painted with intricate lines.  Adelle has used native clays and bee-weed (the black) for the coloration.  It has been traditionally fired to create the coloration on the surface of the jar.  The coloration works beautifully with this piece with shades from white to orange.  It is signed on the bottom.

Candice learned to make pottery from her mother, Darlene Nampeyo.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished and painted with Hopi-Tewa designs using traditional techniques and outdoor fired.  This bowl has a mountain and cloud pattern encircling the piece.  The red clay slip has mica in it and the black is painted with bee-weed (a plant).  There are some color variations from the firing.  It is signed on the bottom.

Lonnie Vigil is known for his use of micaceous clay and is one of a handful of potters from Nambe pueblo.  He has taken this style of pottery and transformed it from utilitarian into fine art.  This jar is a very classic bowl with fireclouds at the base.  The bowl is thin walled and perfect in shape. The fire clouds are dynamic in coloration ranging from white to black.   It is this refinement of a traditional art form for which Lonnie won “Best of Show” at Santa Fe Indian Market in the 1998.

This is a creative jar by Eric Lewis. The jar has a low shoulder and an elongated neck. The design on one side has a stylized corn plant which extends up from the base to the rim.  The other side has a stylized Crow Mother type of Katsina with the wings on the side of her mask.  As the jar is turned the designs flow into one another.  The imagery on this piece is precision painted and visually striking.  Eric is certainly one of the young Pueblo potters to watch!

This oval seedpot is by Eric Lewis.  The seedpot has a flatter form so that it is wider than it is tall.  It is fully painted with geometric patterns. On the top and bottom are hummingbird designs which are surrounded by plant patterns.  Eric has taken the classic Acoma Pueblo designs and enlarged them and made them into bold graphics.  His innovative designs make him a younger potter to watch!

Tse-Pe Gonzales as a son of noted potter Rose Gonzales.  This seedpot is fully polished and fired brown. The design is a central plant pattern with a fish on either side.  The tails of the fish extend out from the circle of the medallion.  There is a single inset piece of turquoise at the top to represent the water.  The back of the piece is fully polished with no design.  The etching is tight and the stippling of the background is a visual signature to Tse-Pe’s technique.  It is signed on the bottom with Tse-Pe’s hallmark. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Loren Ami’s pottery is inspired by traditional Hopi designs and forms. Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays (red) and bee-weed (black) and outdoor fired.  This jar is one of his classic shapes with a wide shoulder and a turned out neck. The neck of the jar is slipped with a micaceous red clay. The design on the jar is very traditional series spiders on two sides.  This is a design which was often used by Nampeyo of Hano.  The two larger spiders are represented by both male and female.  The opposite two sides have more stylized spider motifs.  This jar is also symbolic as Loren is also spider clan.   Note as well that he also used an additional darker brown slip.  The is a small area where the jar has fired a darker almost black in the center of the spider.  The jar has been priced accordingly.  It has been traditionally fired to create the blushes on the surface. It is signed on the bottom.

This wedding vase is a classic shape for Teresita Naranjo’s work. The spouts are squared out on the tips and the body of the piece is fully carved. The design is a water serpent (avanyu) which encircles the piece.  It is deeply carved and the design includes other cloud and rain patterns.  The entire piece is beautifully polished and a classic for her work!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Teresita Naranjo” and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is an exceptional sculptural piece by Nora Naranjo-Morse.  It is a very large piece in the style of a mask yet minimalized into its component parts.  On the horizontal section there are the round “eyes” and the remainder is stylized with various Pueblo designs. In the center is an additional removable piece creating an additional aspect for the sculpture.  Nora is always amazingly innovative in her work and creative with her iconogrpphy. It is signed, “Nora”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Spectacular!  This is a remarkable piece from Luciano.  It is a beautiful shape with a wide shoulder and sloping neck. The entire jar is fully polished and the designs are etched into the clay. There are deer, a bear and wild turkey.  Flowing through the background of the jar is a water serpent (avanyu), which ties the entire piece together.  The area where he has etched away the polished surface he has then scraped down to create a striking contrast between the polished and matte surface.  The color from the firing on this jar is stunning as it is deep, rich brown.  It is great to see a younger potter taking chances on such major work.  Luciano is definitely one of those younger potters to watch!

Rachel Namingha Nampeyo was a gradndaughter of Nampeyo of Hano and a daughter of Annie Healing. She was the mother of noted potters Priscilla Nampeyo, Dextra Quotskuyva, Eleanor Lucas, Emerson Namingha and Ruth Namingha. She was known for her use of traditional designs on her pottery and continuing the pottery legacy of her grandmother.  The two small bowls have similar designs with rain and cloud patterns.  They are each traditionally fired with  blushes on the surface.  One is signed, “R. Nampeyo” and the other, “R.N”.   They are both in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This engagement basket is a classic piece by Mary Cain.  It is fully polished, including the handle!  It is always amazing that the handles don’t crack or break in the polishing or firing process.  The bowl part of the piece is fully carved with a water serpent as the design.   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This wedding vase is a classic piece by Mary Cain.  It is fully polished, including the handle!  It is always amazing that the handles don’t crack or break in the polishing or firing process.  The body of the piece is fully carved with a water serpent.   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Mary is the matriarch of a family of potters including children Linda Cain, Tina Diaz and grandchildren Tammy Garcia and Autumn Borts-Medlock.

Mae Tapia was known for her intricately etched miniature pottery.  However, this is one of the largest pieces of her pottery we have seen in a long time!  The bowl has three medallions which consist of a quail, lizard and rabbit.  Surrounding each of the medallions are various pueblo feather and geometric patterns.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This jar by Dusty Naranjo jar is from 2008 and it is fully polished and etched.  It has a series of horses encircling the piece. The horses are etched deeply into the clay and they are surrounded by stars in the background.  Dusty etches with a combination of lighter and deeper cuts.  The jar is fired brown.  The shape, color and design give the jar a very modern appearance.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Glendora Fragua is known for her intricately incised pottery.  This piece is from 1983 and is a very early piece of her etched pottery. The bowl is slipped with a micaceous clay and the design it etched into the surface. The imagery is a Mimbres inspired scorpion which is surrounded by traditional pueblo designs.  The piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay with Glendora’s corn hallmark.

This is certainly one of the most impressive jars made by Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano.  They make an amazing team, working to create innovative pottery using traditional techniques.  Lisa makes the pottery and it is painted by Harlan.  This massive piece is a classic water jar shape with a round body and a turned out neck.  There are few traditional potters working today at this size!  The jar is fully painted with sparrows which are interspersed between traditional cloud and wind patterns. Each of the birds is different and they are highlighted with a red clay slip. The materials are all traditional as the red and cream are both native clays while the black is wild spinach (a plant). The jar is traditionally fired outdoors.  This piece received an 2nd place ribbon at the 2010 Santa Fe Indian Market. 

This bowl is a piece of Grace Medicine Flower’s carved pottery from the late 1960’s.  It is fully carved with a plumed water serpent.  This style of avanyu is the one that is also seen on the carved work of her father, Camilio.   It is not often that we see Grace’s fully carved pottery but they are wonderfully complicated in the intricacy of their design!  The background area of the bowl is slipped with a cream colored clay while the remainder of the piece is fully polished red.  There is one small area on the avanyu which is black from the firing. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips,cracks, restoration or repair.  It comes to us from the estate collection of Richard Spivey.

Dora Tse-Pe learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law, Rose Gonzales.  She is renowned for her beautifully formed and highly polished pottery.  This is one of her classic pieces.  It is a highly polished black bowl which has a sienna rim. The bear lid is coil built and has a ridge so that it sits inside the mouth of the bowl. It is simple and yet a classic for San Ildefonso pottery.  It is signed on the bottom, “Dora of San Ildefonso” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Cresencia Tafoya is the mother of noted potters Harriet Tafoya and Annie Baca. This is one of her highly polished red pieces.  The feathers are painted with a red clay slip and the cloud design is painted with a white clay slip.  The piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom.

Candice learned to make pottery from her mother, Darlene Nampeyo.  Each piece is coil built, stone polished and painted with Hopi-Tewa designs using traditional techniques and outdoor fired.  This is one of her turtles.  It is painted with a classic night scene of Hopi, with the mesas and the stars in the sky.  There are some color variations from the firing.  It is signed on the bottom.

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.

This small long neck jar by Dusty Naranjo is a fully polished and etched.  It has a series of hummingbirds and flowers as the design. Near the neck it is more fully designed with geometric patterns.  There is a wonderful intricacy of the designs of the flowers on the sides as they extend upward to the hummingbirds! Intricate and elegant!

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.

Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano make an amazing team, working to create innovative pottery using traditional techniques.  Lisa makes the pottery and it is painted by Harlan.  This figure is amazing as it is hollow and all coil built.  The figure is one of the “Pueblo Super Hero” figures Harlan has created over the past decade. The figure has four arms, which is technically difficult to create.  The designs are a series of Pueblo style flower, water and cloud motifs.  There is a striking intensity of the design and form on this figure.  The materials are all traditional as the red and cream are both native clays while the black is wild spinach (a plant). The figure is traditionally fired outdoors. 

Glen Nipshank is known for the organic shapes of his pottery.  This tall jar has an asymmetrical form with a rounded base and long neck.  The base and sides are pushed in, challenging the strength of the clay walls.  The white clay adds additional shadows to the recessed sections.  Glen brings a fascinating non-pueblo perspective to Native pottery. The jar is from 2007 and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Loren Ami’s pottery is inspired by traditional Hopi designs and forms. Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays (red) and bee-weed (black) and outdoor fired.  This bowl is stone polished and painted with four butterflies or moths as the design.  This is a fascinating use of a very old design.  The body of the each moth is in the center and the wings are polished red. It is the head of each moth which is the mouth of the bowl!  Loren has perfectly used the form of the bowl to become part of his design.  The bowl is traditionally fired which creates the blushes on the surface.  Loren is certainly one of the traditionalist Hopi-Tewa potters to watch, as each new piece reveals his strength as both a potter and an artist!

Nathan Begaye was a unique innovator among Pueblo and Navajo potters.  His ethnic connection to both Hopi and Navajo let his work flow between the two distinctive styles and yet find their own unique space.  His work used traditional designs, forms and techniques, yet somehow appeared very modern.  This tile is from 2000 and was made for a “Hopi Tile” show that we had here the gallery.  The lizard is painted on a polished white clay surface and the colors are all natural clay slips.  The black is bee-weed and note the tightly painted fineline designs. Nathan used a piece from a broken vessel to create this “shard” which he wanted to look like an ancient piece that had just been found.  There is a little bit of wear on the black and some minor spalling, which adds to the feel of the piece being “old”.  Note on the back the rust colored area below the signature, that was where he put some caliche clay he found here in AZ and he wanted to see what color it would fire.