Dolores Curran creates intricately incised and painted pottery.  This box is one of her pieces which is fully painted buff-on-red.  The bowl is round and the sides are painted with dragonflies, feathers, cloud and rain designs.  The design near the rim of the box is a water serpent, which encircles the piece.  The designs are incredibly intricate and detailed.  The top of the box is a lid with a feather pattern on the finial and below that is a water serpent. There are dragonflies and prayer feather bundles also painted on the top of the lid.  Dragonflies are often depicted as Prayer Messengers.  In terms of painted designs, Dolores has to first polish the box and lid, and then painted the designs.  They are painted over between four and five times!  The first time is to outline the design, the deepen the outline.  Then the designs are filled-in and then painted over again. Finally, the entire piece is painted over one more time for consistency in color!  The polishing on the piece is exceptional as note the reflection of the finial on the top of the lid in the surrounding polished surface!  WOW!  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dolores Curran”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a classically shaped miniature by Dorothy Torivio.  She was among the first to utilize and then refine the “op-art” style in her Acoma pottery. She took classic Acoma patterns and then repeated them on a vessel, ranging the size from small to large and then small again, in accordance with the shape of the vessel.  This a perfectly painted seed jar with a wide shape and designs on the entire surface.  The jar has a wide shape and a very short neck.  It was the short neck which allowed Dorothy to emphasize the intricacy of her painting.  The imagery is a butterfly pattern which encircles the piece.  Each of the “butterflies” is a combination of four of the elliptical designs.  The seedpot is signed on the bottom, “Dorothy Torivio” and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Russell Sanchez continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery.  Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched.  This is a small polychrome bowl with a flower and seed design.  The top is etched with the round flower petals and the sides have a seed design.  At the top of the petal designs, Russell has painted hatchwork patterns in black and red.  There is an asymmetry to them which is intentional, harkening to the early work of potters like Florentino Martinez, who often used hatchwork patterns in his polychrome pottery.  The bowl has a red polished neck.  There is a band if hematite hei-shi beads along with inset hematite stones.  As Russell continues to innovate from historic designs, he says, “Tradition means moving forward and adding to it. You keep moving forward.  If we stayed stagnant we would no longer exist.”  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is exciting to see how this imagery is not new but Russell’s reinterpretation of it both modernizes and revives.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

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 is one of her classic shapes with an elongated neck and a flared rim. The entire jar is fully polished and the inside of the neck (as far as you can reach!) is polished red.  The shoulder of the jar is painted with a connecting eagle tail pattern.  It is painted with her classic thin lines and perfect symmetry.  The black is painted with bee-weed and the jar is traditionally fired to create the fire clouds on the surface.  It is signed on the bottom, “Hisi Nampeyo”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is from the late 1990’s.

This is a charming new jar by Rainy Naha.  She is well known for her creative and intricately designed pottery.  The jar has a Hano or Koshari Clown as the image on two sides.  The Koshari provides amusement during Kachina ceremonies.  Koshari plays tricks, acts out absurd pantomimes, or cleverly mimics spectators. Like the more serious Kachinas, but in a humorous way, the clown helps maintain community harmony by reminding the people of acceptable standards of behavior within the Hopi community.  Rainy has captured the Koshari facing the viewer on one side, and the back of the Koshari on the other.  Check out the mocassins which almost seem too big on the clown, appearing in a whimsical manner.  Separating the front and back of the clown are two large panels which are painted with Hopi-Tewa designs from cloud to bird wings and rain patterns.  It is in the style of a shawl, which Hopi-Tewa women wear when they are at the dances.  The jar is first polished with white clay and then it is painted with bee-weed (black) and various colors of clay slips.  Some of the colors are polished and others are matte.  The jar is traditionally fired outside.  It is signed on the bottom with a feather and “Rainy”.  Rainy has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Market and her work continues to be a creative inspiration in Hopi-Tewa pottery.

Dextra Quostkuyva Nampeyo is certainly one of the most influential Hopi-Tewa potters of the last 50 years. Not only has she taught numerous potters (Steve Lucas, Yvonne Lucas, Les Namingha, Loren Ami, Hisi Nampeyo, to name just a few), but her creative designs and forms changed have dramatically influenced the pottery itself.  This jar was originally purchased from her in 1996. It has two medallions, each with a different bird.  Each bird is very intricately painted.  The area surrounding the birds is highly polished red clay slip.  The red she was using at this time polished to a high shine and has just a bit of mica which is reflective.  The jar was traditionally fired so there are very light blushes to the surface.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dextra” along with a corn plant to represent the Corn Clan.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Dextra was the subject of a retrospective of her pottery at the Wheelwright Museum, along with a companion book entitled, “Painted Perfection“.

This is an intricately painted miniature bear by Dolores.  It is polished red and then painted buff-on-red.  Did you know that for her painted designs, Dolores paints over the designs between four and five times? First, she has to polish the piece and then the designs are painted onto the surface.  The first time is to outline the design, the over the same area to deepen the outline coloration.  Then the designs are filled-in and then painted over again. Finally, the entire piece is painted over one more time for consistency in color!  This small bear has a cloud and rain design on its back.   The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dolores Curran”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Dolores Aragon is known for her intricately painted miniature pottery. This small jar is fully painted with a series of interlocking stars.  Note the thin lines used to paint the piece! The lid is carved with a raised section and a cloud step pattern on top.  both have fineline painted patterns.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “D. J. Aragon”. it is beautifully painted!  It is signed on the bottom.

This jar by Eric Lewis is painted with strong linear designs.  The imagery has stylized bird wings flowing across the surface of the piece.  Eric has taken classic Acoma linear designs and made them both bolder and more graphic. The result is a striking jar with tightly painted imagery.  It is signed on the bottom, “Eric Lewis”.

Frederica Antonio is renown for her intricately painted pottery. Each piece is coil built and then finely painted. Her designs are a series of fine vertical and horizontal lines which are then filled in to create larger images in the squares.  This water jar has a sloping shape which sets off the designs.  It is an amazingly intricate pattern which represents the four seasons.  From top to bottom they are Fall (leaves, polychrome), Summer (rain, black and white), Spring (flowers, polychrome), Winter (snow, checkerboard).  The top band has four different colors used to create the “leaves”. The optical illusion of the square inside squares and diamonds inside diamond shapes gives the appearance of movement. T he middle band of the four colors for the flowers is delicately painted.  Her two black and white sections with the rain and snow are exceptionally tiny squares!  The coloration includes two additional colors of clay.  The entire jar is first painted black on white.  Frederica noted that she paints the red first, then the brown color and then had to go back over all the black lines again one more time!  The level of complexity and time involved on the painting of this piece is extraordinary!  The result, however, is stunning with a dynamic appearance and movement to the designs.  The base of the jar is concave, reminiscent of historic Acoma jars which were carried on the head.  This combination of thin walls, classic shape and tightly painted design create a piece which is visually  stunning!  The jar is signed on the bottom.

Sarah Garcia (1928-2015) was born at Laguna Pueblo and was a daughter of Maria Trujillo.  However, she spent her adult life at Acoma Pueblo.  She, along with Jessie Garcia, Lucy M. Lewis, and Marie Z. Chino was largely responsible for the revival of Anasazi and Tularosa designs on contemporary Acoma vessels.  Her daughter Goldie Hayah continues making pottery.  This larger bowl is fully painted with three large lizards.  Separating them are very intricately painted rain and cloud patterns. The bowl is thin-walled and traditionally fired.  It is signed on the bottom, “Sarah Garcia”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Charmae Natseway is known for her exceptionally painted pottery and use of distinctive forms. This piece is from 1980 and it is a round jar with a short neck.  The piece is painted with three Mimbres animals. There is a stylized scorpion on one side and a bird eating a fish on the other.  The neck of the jar has classic Acoma bid wing patterns.  Check out all the detailed painting in the checkerboard and fine-line areas!   The fine lines and precision of her imagery is always a perfect match of form and design.  The piece is signed on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Wanda Aragon (b. 1948) is a daughter of noted potter Frances Torivio. She is also known by her name in Acoma, Dzinats’ituwits’a.  She is known for her traditional style Acoma pottery.  This is a larger piece of her pottery.  It is entitled, “Winter Hunt”.  It is coil built then slipped with white clay and then painted with bee-weed (black) and clay slips. The gray coloration is one of her signature colors.  The seedpot has four sections of design.  There is a  Mimbres style of hunger painted in the first medallion. The second has a mountain lion and an antelope.  The third is a bighorn sheep and a bear. The last is a deer and a rabbit.  The area separating the medallions is painted with a checkerboard snow design.  Check out the incredible detail in the fine-line painting along with the various colors!  It is an exceptional piece.  The seedpot is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is one of the few triple signature pieces by Margaret Tafoya.  The bowl was made by Margaret Tafoya, designed and carved by her great-grandson Charles Roller Lewis and polished by her daughter Toni Roller.  It was made in the 1990’s.  The bowl is one of Margaret’s classic shapes.  The designs are a mountain, cloud and rain pattern which are deeply carved into the bowl.  It is highly polished and traditionally fired black.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret Tafoya, Toni Roller, Charles Lewis”.  It is definitely a fascinating piece of history!

Tse-Pe Gonzales and his wife, Dora, began working together around 1971.  Dora would make the pottery and Tse-Pe would etch the designs. This bowl is an exceptional piece of their pottery.  The piece is a round bowl and the design is an avanyu etched around the shoulder of the piece.  There is an inset piece of coral for the eye of the avanyu.  Above the back of the avanyu are clouds, which are two-tone in sienna.  Below the band of etched design, there is a single band of matte clay slip before the polished base of the bowl.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay “Tse-Pe and Dora”.    It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.   Tse-Pe and Dora worked individually from 1980-2000, but their early collaborative work remains innovative, creative and of the highest quality even compared to many of today’s potters.

Toni Roller is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery.  A daughter of Margaret Tafoya, Toni has developed her own distinctive style. The shape for this storage jar is inspired by the work of her grandmother, Sarafina Tafoya. The jar has a high shoulder and a short neck.  It is fully polished and has four bear paws.  Toni said of this design:

“The story behind the bear paw, according to my grandmother, she said that our ancestors came from Puye, from the cliffs. One time when the people were living up there, there was a drought so bad they couldn’t grow anything. They were so worried. They wondered why the bear was well fed and not thin like they are. So they tracked the bear, and the bear led them to the Rio Grande. The reason we put the bear paw on the pots is to honor the bear that saved the people, the ancestors that came to Santa Clara from Puye. That’s why now most of the Indian people live along the Rio Grande. The bear saved all our ancestors.”  Toni Roller, Spoken Through Clay

The bowl was traditionally fired a dark black.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It was made in 2017.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Sue Tapia is originally from Laguna Pueblo and was married to Tom Tapia.  Together they made pottery together, along with her individual pieces.  This bowl is coil built, carved, stone polished and traditionally fired.  It is a “Lightning Design” and alternates between polished and mica slipped bands.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Sue Tapia”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This jar by Joy “Frog Woman” Navasie is a distinctive shape with a low shoulder and an elongated neck.  The jar is painted with two panels of designs, each with a Hopi style bird.  The birds are highlighted with a deep red clay.  The neck of the jar is also painted with a bird wing pattern.  The jar is slipped with the white clay and then painted with natural clay slips and bee-weed (black).  The red clay on this jar is a deeper red clay she began to use in the 1980’s.  It has been traditionally fired so there are some variations in the coloration from white to almost a pinkish color.   The jar is signed on the bottom with her Frog Hallmark.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  

This is a striking large jar by Preston Duwyenie.  The piece is coil built from micaceous clay.  The shape is a tall, elongated jar with a narrow asymmetric opening.  The jar is slipped in a micaceous clay and then fired black. The mica then gives the piece a very metallic appearance to the surface.  The silver pieces are inset into the clay after the firing.  Preston said of this style of jar:

“The imagery of the Water Drinking Maiden is clearly depicted on the tall vessel that itself contains the preciousness of water.  In the Pueblos of the Southwest there are certain dances where the women wear this elaborated headdress known as a “tablita” i.e. “Shalako” and “Butterfly Maiden” which I am alluding to with the silver pieces. The largest ingot is the headdress, the other two are the torso and legs.”

Each of the silver pieces is cast by Preston against cuttlefish bone, to create the distinctive texture.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay with Preston’s hallmark, which means “carried in beauty”.  There is certainly something both modern and ancient about this striking piece!   Preston is from Third Mesa at Hopi and taught ceramics for years at Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe.  He is married to pottery Debra Duwyenie and now resides in Santa Clara Pueblo.  Preston has won numerous awards for pottery, including “Best of Show” at the Heard Indian Market.

This is a very creative box by Russell Sanchez.  His recent work is a modern take on historic San Ildefonso pottery.  This box is etched with five horizontal bands which alternate between matte and polished areas.  Believe it or not this is very difficult to carve the horizontal lines into the clay and have them all turn out even!  Then there are is the checkerboard pattern.  If you take a closer look you will see that they alternate from polished in one row to matte in the next!  Again, scan in on the photos and check out the precision of the etching on this piece.  It is amazing!  Separating each of the five bands of checkerboard are six bands of hematite hei-shi beads, which give the piece a very modernist appearance.  As for the lid, the bear is very sculptural and it is fully polished while the remainder of the lid is rounded and slipped with mica.  This may seem to be a simple design at first glance and yet it is one of the more precision challenging pieces Russell makes, any line was not perfectly even would throw off the design.  The jar and the lid are both signed on the bottom in the clay.  In terms of the round shape, it is a style of box seen at San Ildefonso in the 1920’s. I included a photo of  Maria Martinez round box from around 1924-5.  This jar is a wonderful revival of a historic shape!

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

This is an early piece by Tammy Garcia from around 1990. It is a kiva bowl, which is a classic shape for Santa Clara Pueblo.  The bowl is fully polished on the inside and the outside.  The outside edge has a deeply carved line which extends around the piece.  The area from the line to the inside rim is then matte.  While a simple piece, it is always more complex to polish the inside and the outside of a piece, as the extra water from the slip can often cause a piece to crack.  The bowl is signed “Tammy Borts” and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Today, Tammy’s work is much more complex with her carved designs.  It is wonderful to see her early pieces and her innate creativity.

This small plate by Preston Duwyenie is made from white Hopi clay found near Third Mesa at Hopi.  The back of the plate is stone polished and the front is carved to have the appearance of “shifting sand”.  The sand design has an organic and natural flow to each ribbon of sand, giving the appearance of them flowing across the surface.  On this plate, each of the bands is very tightly carved against the next, which creates a very striking appearance.  I photographed the plate with a half turn, which shows off how each line of sand has a different shadow as the piece is turned.  The center of the plate has a single inset piece of silver which is cast from cuttlefish bone.  The textured surface of the silver is similar to that of the surface of the plate.  The plate is signed on the back in the clay with Preston’s hallmark which is a woman carrying a child, which comes from Preston’s Hopi name, which means “carried in beauty”.  Preston is from Third Mesa at Hopi, and taught ceramics for years at Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe.

Rebecca Lucario is known for her delicate and intricately painted pottery.  This seedpot is painted with a star pattern on top.  It is painted with very fine lines.  Surrounding the star are small rain and cloud patterns.  The seedpot is signed on the bottom, “R. Lucario”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Wanda Aragon (b. 1948) is a daughter of noted potter Frances Torivio. She is also known by her name in Acoma, Dzinats’ituwits’a.  She is known for her traditional style Acoma pottery.  This is one of her miniatures. The jar is a classic olla shape with a round body and a short neck. The jar is intricately painted with birds on two sides.  They are connected with a rainbow and plant design.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This clay figure by Virgil Ortiz is from 1995.  It is coil built and painted with a white clay slip and additional red clay.  The black is wild spinach, which is a plant.  The figure is what he called his “Directional Figures” representing the North, South, East, and West.  Each figure was a different color and this one represents the South, as the body is mostly painted red.  Virgil did not want to re-create ceremonial figures in his work and so he created this style to tell a Pueblo story of the four directions, but with his own style.  The figure was traditionally fired and the small clay tabs were added after the firing. The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Virgil Ortiz”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is striking new jar by Virgil Ortiz.  The jar features a futuristic version of Tahu, the Blind Archer, in a 2180 style.  The story for the imagery on this piece comes from Virgil’s work focusing on the Pueblo Revolt 1680 and his futuristic 2180.  He has continued to create pieces in this series since 2007.

“In 2007 Ortiz began to identify and give form to characters who would populate his fictionalized version of the Pueblo Revolt: Tahu, a girl blinded by the Spanish conquistadors; Mopez, the leader of the Pueblo Runners; and the Castilians to represent the Spanish invaders. The characters who make up the Pueblo Revolt series are inspired by names and words in Keres (the indigenous language of Cochiti Pueblo) and other Puebloan languages. “Tahu” is a word used as a sign of respect for older Pueblo women. “Mopez” means “cardinal” and was the Keres name of Ortiz’s brother. “I wanted to use native language words and names to identify the characters. Part of the Revolt story had to be the actual events, but I also wanted it to tie into our language. If I could get the kids interested in history I might also be able to get them interested in our language and keep it alive.” “Virgil Oritz: Revolt 1680/2180”, Charles S. King

On this jar, Tahu has a stylized and sleek appearance.  As the jar is turned you can see the feathers on her helmet and back.  The reverse side of the jar has a stylized snake.  For Virgil, the snake is a symbol of transformation.  The body of the snake is made up of sun and wildflower designs.  Can you see the “spirit line” in the design? It is at the top of the first tile on the left! The spirit line is a break in the painting and used on traditional Cochiti pottery.  Virgil has also incorporated his signature “x”, which is the turkey track into the designs.  The tiles are painted with native clay slips and wild spinach (a plant) for the black.  The piece is signed on the back.  The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay.

The is a new bowl from LuAnn Tafoya.  She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and learned to make the large vessels from her mother.  This bowl is a very round shape and carved with four “gourd” or “squash” designs.  LuAnn said that this was a design which was given to her by her father, Alcario.  It is a flowing pattern and repeated in each of the four panels.  The bowl is highly polished and traditionally fired black.   The pottery of LuAnn Tafoya is an important continuation of the traditions of her family and the pueblo.  Today, few potters create pieces this size and the skill and beauty in LuAnn’s pottery is always remarkable!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This is a very unusual carved bowl with a triple signature of Mela Youngblood and her two children, Nathan Youngblood and Nancy Youngblood.  The bowl was made in 1975.   I asked Nathan and he thought this might be the only piece that has all three signature!  The bowl was made by Nathan and finished and polished by Nancy and Mela.  It has a very complex avanyu (water serpent) encircling the piece.  The carving is deep and the piece is highly polished.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nathan Youngblood, Finished Nancy + Mela Youngblood, March 19, 1975”.  Definitely a classic and historically important bowl by all three of these significant potters!

This jar by Alice Cling has a classic jar shape.  The piece has a high shoulder and a short neck.  It is fully polished red and then traditionally fired to create the variations in color. The jar ranges from black to a deep red.  It was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pine pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Alice Cling”.  Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”  She remains one of the great names in the revival of Navajo pottery in the 1980s.

This is a classic jar by Lorraine Williams.  It is a long neck and a low shoulder.  The neck of the jar is square.  The surface of the piece is incised with rug designs which encompass the entire piece in vertical bands. The background area is textured which further highlights the designs.  It is a striking and complicated pattern.  The jar has been traditionally fired to create the surface coloration.   After the piece is fired it is covered in pine pitch, which is typical of all traditional Navajo pottery harkening back to when it was utilitarian.  Lorraine has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “A Legacy of Generations”.

Ida Redbird is one of the best known of the potters involved in the revival of Maricopa pottery from 1937-40. She was featured in Arizona Highways in 1948. Her pottery is made using a paddle-and-anvil technique and they are twice fired. The black designs are derived from a mixture of mesquite sap and cactus spines.  This jar has a round body and a short neck. There are mountain designs on both the neck and the body of the piece.  It is complex in its patterns and the surface is highly polished.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed, “Ida Redbird” on the bottom.

This jar by Alice Cling is an elegant shape.  It has a low shoulder and an elongated neck.  The jar is fully polished red and then traditionally fired to create the variations in color. The jar ranges from black to a deep red.  It was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pine pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Alice Cling”.  Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”  She remains one of the great names in the revival of Navajo pottery in the 1980’s.

This is a very traditionally inspired tile by Ida Sahmie.  It is “Mother Earth and Father Sky”, which is a design often seen in sandpaintings.  Here, Ida has painted it on a stone polished tile using natural clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black.  Mother Earth is in the center with the four sacred plants on the left of the figure.  On the right is Father Sky with the stars and sun.  The face is etched, as are the sides of the tile in the center area.  The tile was traditionally fired and it is signed on the back, “Ida Sahmie”.  She is a daughter-in-law of Priscilla Nampeyo and Ida continues to make beautifully formed pottery with wonderfully complex designs.  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.   The story of Father Sky and Mother Earth, and the Dine people is as follows:

“The Navajo people, the Diné, passed through three different worlds before emerging into this world, The Fourth World, or Glittering World. The Diné believe there are two classes of beings: the Earth People and the Holy People. The Holy People are believed to have the power to aid or harm the Earth People. Since Earth People of the Diné are an integral part of the universe, they must do everything they can to maintain harmony or balance on Mother Earth.  It is believed that centuries ago the Holy People taught the Diné how to live the right way and to conduct their many acts of everyday life. They were taught to live in harmony with Mother Earth, Father Sky and the many other elements such as man, animals, plants, and insects.”

Dominique Toya is known for her intricately carved pottery with sharp ridged melon swirls.  She has created her distinctive style of pottery using native clay and micaceous clay slips for the surface.  This bowl is polished a deep red on the top and bottom. The central band is deeply carved with a single melon rib representing a river.  It is slipped with black mica.  It is a striking contrast between the polished and matte surfaces.  It is signed on the bottom.  Dominique has won numerous awards for her pottery and continues to be one of the leading Jemez potters working today!

Angie Yazzie is renown for her thin-walled Taos pottery. Each piece is coil built and made from micaceous clay from near Taos Pueblo.  Angie focuses on traditional shapes along with making each piece nearly paper thin!  It almost feels like there is nothing there when you hold one! This jar is thin-walled with a wide, round shoulder and a thin, wide rim.  The jar has an elegant balance of form.  Angie fires her pieces using wood, so it is a different firing process than Santa Clara blackware.  The result is that you can very slightly see the fire-clouds on the surface of the piece.  That is a great addition, as it speaks to the traditional firing methods!  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Angie Yazzie”.  She has won numerous awards for her work, including “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market in 2017.

Dominique Toya is known for her intricately carved pottery with sharp ridged melon swirls.  She has created her distinctive style of pottery using native clay and micaceous clay slips for the surface.  This jar is fully polished with a section which is carved with sharp melon ribs.  While the jar is fully polished the carved area is slipped with mica.  While the jar is fired a deep black the ribs have a nearly silvery metallic appearance!  The mouth of the jar is asymmetrical and the contrast of the polished and micaceous areas is visually striking in terms of how the light hits the surface. Dominique has won numerous awards for her pottery and continues to be one of the leading Jemez potters working today!

This is an intricately painted jar by Lois Gutierrez.  She is one of the few potters who continues to create polychrome pottery at Santa Clara.  Polychrome, or more than three different colors of clay slips, are all painted onto the surface of the vessel before it is fired. This is a water jar shape with a wide shoulder and an elongated neck. The jar is painted with a continuous scene of four rabbits and an avanyu. There is an additional design of a cloud, rain and rainbow.  Check out the variety of colors she was able to use on each of rabbits! Below the shoulder is a rain pattern and a “rabbit ear” design.  All the colors are derived from natural clay slips.   This jar has over five different natural clay colors utilized.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Lois”.   This is an intricate piece of Lois’s pottery which combines a cultural legacy in design with one in clay.

This jar by Alice Cling has a tall shape and a rounded rim.  The jar is fully polished red and then traditionally fired to create the variations in color. The jar ranges from black to a deep red.  It was covered in pine-pitch after the firing, a continuation of the traditional Navajo pottery when pine pitch was used to make the pottery waterproof.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Alice Cling”.  Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as “Legacy of Generations.”  She remains one of the great names in the revival of Navajo pottery in the 1980s.

Elton Tewaguna Nampeyo is a great-grandson of Nampeyo, grandson of Fannie Polacca Nampeyo, and a son of Richard and Elva Tewaguna Nampeyo.  His sisters Adelle Lalo Nampeyo, Miriam Tewaguna Nampeyo, and Neva Polacca Choyou Nampeyo are also potters.  This bowl is painted with a batwing design on four sides.  The top is slipped with a red clay and polished.  It is signed on the bottom, “Elton Nampeyo”.

This is one of the more unusual pieces we have had by Dextra Quostkuyva Nampeyo.  She is certainly one of the most influential Hopi-Tewa potters of the last 50 years. Not only has she taught numerous potters (Steve Lucas, Yvonne Lucas, Les Namingha, Loren Ami, Hisi Nampeyo, to name just a few), but her creative designs and forms changed have dramatically influenced the pottery itself.  This jar is polished on the neck and the bottom area is textured.  The client who had this piece said that Dextra told them the bottom area was meant to represent a lava bed.  There is definitely a textural feel to the surface that reminds one of volcanic rock.  It is also that volcanic rock which is often used by Native potters as temper for the clay to give it structure. The neck is polished tan and the “lava bed” is slipped with a red clay.   The jar was traditionally fired and there are a few blushes on the surface.  It is signed on the bottom in bee-weed, “Dextra” along with a corn plant to represent the Corn Clan.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Dextra was the subject of a retrospective of her pottery at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, along with a companion book entitled, “Painted Perfection“.

This miniature seedpot is an exceptionally intricate piece by Sylvia Naha.  She was a daughter of Helen “Featherwoman” Naha and a sister of Rainy and Burell Naha.  She was known for her distinctive pieces painted with intricate designs on a white polished clay surface.  Throughout the 1980s, Sylvia was considered among the most innovative of the Hopi potters.  Her pieces were classic in form and amazingly intricate in design.  This seedpot has a star pattern on the top and bottom of the piece.  On the sides are four flower patterns.  The center of each flower is very detailed with a fine-line hatchwork pattern.  There is an additional tan clay slip which is painted on the stars.  The black on the painting is from Bee-Weed (a plant) and the other colors are natural clay slips.  The seedpot is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  The jar is signed on the bottom with a feather and an “S”. 

Iris Nampeyo was a daughter of Fannie Nampeyo and well known for her elegant asymmetrical vessels with corn as part of the design in relief.  Iris began using the corn in relief on the surface of her pottery in the early 1980s. The corn is symbolic of being part of the Corn Clan.  The surface of the jar is stone polished and the corn on the front is in applique relief.  The shape of this jar is striking as it is very wide with a low shoulder.  The corn is elongated across the wide surface.  The husk of the corn is sharp and the matte area extends around to the shoulder of the jar.  The matte areas are in contrast to the remainder of the piece which is polished.  The opening is asymmetrical which is in keeping with the organic style of the form.  There is a simplicity and elegance in her pottery.  Sadly, Iris passed away in September 2018, but her pottery remains a classic.  This piece is signed on the bottom in the clay and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is a collaborative piece by Daisy Hooee Nampeyo and her daughter, Shirley Benn.  Daisy was a daughter of Annie Nampeyo Healing and a granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano.  Her daughter is Shirley Benn and granddaughter Cheryl Naha Nampeyo.  Daisy spent many of her formative years with her grandmother and learned how to make pottery at a very early age.  However, she began to lose her vision and had an operation to remove cataracts due to an infection.  She attended the L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris through her benefactor, Anita Bladwin. When she returned to Hopi, she married Ray Naha, then Leo Pablano (from Zuni) and finally Sidney Hooee from Zuni.  Her life story is as fascinating as her pottery. This bowl was made by Daisy and painted by her daughter, Shirley Benn. The bowl is thin-walled and the designs are very delicately painted. They are a series of classic Hopi-Tewa birds which encompass the surface of the piece.  The bowl was traditionally fired to create the surface coloration.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom, “Daisy Hooee Nampeyo, Shirley Benn”.   Definitely a piece of history!

Mark Tahbo was renown for his creative pottery shapes, designs, and firings.  He learned to make pottery from his great-grandmother, Grace Chapella.  Each piece reflects the symmetry and thin walls of an excellent potter. The designs are painted using native clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black.  This jar is coil built and has very thin walls.  It was fully polished and then painted. The one side has a stylized bird based on imagery from Awatovi (near Hopi).  Down the sides are two bands of geometric patterns.  The side opposite the bird has a bird tail design.  Below the shoulder is a cloud design.  Interestingly, if you reach inside the jar, you can feel how Mark polished all the way on the inside to the shoulder. I remember he would talk about that as a surprise in his work that you couldn’t see it but could feel the polish inside.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Mark Tahbo”.  It was made in 1995.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Rachel Namingha Nampeyo was a granddaughter 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.  This jar is a classic shape with the wide shoulder and short neck.  The design has two birds encircling the jar.  They are larger with polished red heads and tail feathers.  The jar is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Rachel Nampeyo”.

Jennifer Tafoya is known for her clay vessels and also her amazing animal figures!  This is a piece of her pottery from 2012.  It is a roadrunner with an elongated tail and on the body, there are two medallions.  Each of the medallions is etched with a different scene, each with a roadrunner.  The neck is etched with a feather pattern, the same as on the head.  All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Jennifer Tafoya is known for her clay vessels and also her amazing animal figures!  This is a piece of her pottery from around 2004-5.  It has a central medallion with a large Peacock Bass and there are eight additional bass around the edge of the plate.  They are each incised into the clay.  The rim has geometric water designs. All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips.  It is signed on the back in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Jordan Roller is innovative in his use of thin carved designs on his pottery.  This jar combines a unique color combination along with the complex carving. The jar is fully carved with incredibly detailed designs.  There is a stylized buffalo skull, lightning, clouds, and mountains.  Take a moment to look closely at the designs and the intricate carving.  There is such small space between some of the carved areas that Jordan says he uses just a folded piece of sandpaper to “carve” the lines.  Not only is the jar very intricately carved, but also highly polished and even the inside of the neck is polished!  The jar was traditionally fired a dark brown coloration. It is a beautiful even tonality to the surface.  It’s exciting to see a piece with such complexity and flow of design.  It is signed on the bottom.

This jar is part of a new series of pieces by Les Namingha.  This, “Pueblo Series” is focused on universal design similarities among various Pueblo pottery. As Les is both Zuni and Hopi-Tewa, he has a lot of cultural imagery to pull from for this body of work.  Les says of this piece:

“This jar is part of my “Pueblo Jar series” that I started recently. This series interprets or incorporates elements from other Pueblos outside of my Zuni and Tewa-Hopi influenced work.  My focus is on finding similarities in design elements across all Pueblo communities. This jar looks at the Acoma Pueblo style of geometric grid designs.  I have decontructed them and layered them into abstraction to create a minimalist style.”

The jar is a round shape with a slight neck.  The body of the piece is painted with a variety of geometric designs in red on a white surface.  They are separated by bolder black lines.  Layered on top of them are additional geometric patterns which are turned in different directions and painted in a tighter style.  It’s almost as if you could remove the bands of design from the top of the bowl!  The base and neck are painted with bolder lines and the neck has several classic Acoma style triangular designs, which are often seen on their pottery.  It’s a striking balance of shape, design, and color.  It is signed on the bottom.  The last photo is one from the jar in the gallery, which looks exceptional against a red wall!

Daryl Whitegeese is known for his traditional style Santa Clara pottery.  He coil builds amazing shapes which are then carved and stone polished.  This bowl is elongated with an oval shape.  This bowl is carved on the outside with an avanyu which encircles the entire piece.  Look closely and you can also see a micaceous slip in the background area surrounding the polished designs.  Daryl said this was one of his first attempts to use a mica background instead of matte.   The water serpent (or avanyu) is part of a Pueblo story where the Avanyu saves the village during a flood.  The rim is also fully polished to a sharp edge.  The inside is matte.   The oval shape is unusual but adds to the distinctive sense of proportionality to this piece.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Dextra Quostkuyva Nampeyo is certainly one of the most influential Hopi-Tewa potters of the last 50 years. Not only has she taught numerous potters (Steve Lucas, Yvonne Lucas, Les Namingha, Loren Ami, Hisi Nampeyo, to name just a few), but her creative designs and forms changed have dramatically influenced the pottery itself.  This large jar is from the late 1980s.  The piece is part of a series she created where she did not polish the surface of her pottery but instead left it matte.  Dextra was always experimental in her approach to pottery and would often push the boundaries of what was “acceptable” in Hopi-Tewa wares.  This large jar is a classic Sikyatki form with a wide shoulder and a short neck.  The top of the jar is very intricately painted with an eagle tail design.  The thin lines and complex pattern are highlighted by polished red areas.  The large red sections accentuate both design and form.  The black is bee-weed and the red is a clay slip.  The jar was traditionally fired and there are a few blushes on the surface.  It is signed on the bottom in bee-weed, “Dextra” along with a corn plant to represent the Corn Clan.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Dextra was the subject of a retrospective of her pottery at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, along with a companion book entitled, “Painted Perfection“.

Frederica Antonio is renown for her intricately painted pottery. Each piece is coil built and then finely painted. Her designs are a series of fine vertical and horizontal lines which are then filled in to create larger images in the squares.  This jar is a classic olla shape with a high shoulder and a short neck.  Frederica has painted the four sections of designs, each meant to represent different flowers.  The designs are a series of “squares” which are the petals with the center being a different color in each section.  There is a band of three different colors of clay which separate each of the sections.  It is amazingly complex for her to both paint the various designs and then add the additional clay colors.  The neck of the jar is painted with a rain pattern which includes four different colors.  This jar is vivid in design, color, and form.  The base of the jar is concave, reminiscent of historic Acoma jars which were carried on the head.  This combination of thin walls, classic shape, and tightly painted design create a piece which is visually stunning!  The jar is signed on the bottom.

Grace Medicine Flower remains renown for her innovative and creative pottery.  This is one of her dynamic “basket weave” pieces.  She only made the basket-weave pieces for a few years before moving on to the polychrome pottery.   The concept behind these pieces was for them to appear as if the clay had fallen away and there was a woven basket underneath. The basket areas are carved vertically, incised horizontally and then painted with a clay slip.  This plate has a central medallion which is fully polished red.  It is etched with two butterflies.  Surrounding the medallion is a series of etched and painted rows which create the basket.  In this case, she has replicated a Navajo wedding basket as the design.  After it is fully etched it is then incised and then painted with different clay slips.  Amazingly, the back is also fully designed with a carved water serpent (avanyu) as the design.  The avanyu is slipped with mica.  The piece is signed on the back in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Grace made very few plates during her career, which makes this an exceptional piece both in creativity and historically!

This an unusual and intricate piece by Grace Medicine Flower.  It is from 1988.  The jar is carved with 63 straight melon ribs.  Each rib is rounded with a slight edge and on the top of the jar, they create a star design on the top when looking down.  The neck of the jar is also fully polished.  It is an amazingly complex piece of her work with a striking appearance.  The piece is fired a deep black in coloration.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Brian Chino was a son of noted potter Edna Chino and a brother of Jay Vallo and Corrine Chino. He began making pottery in 1988.  This is one of his classic miniatures.  The jar is fully painted with very thin lines to create an interlocking star pattern.  Along the shoulder are feathers painted over a red clay slip. There is an elongated neck and then a small round lid which is slipped red and then also painted with very thin lines!  His work was always exceptional for the size.  This piece is signed, “B. Chino” on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Peter Pino is a son of Anita Martinez, a grandson of Santana and Adam Martinez and a great-grandson of Maria Martinez.  He is a brother of potters Barbara Gonzales and Kathy Sanchez.  This piece is a classic oval box which is fully polished.  The lid fits into the box and it is also fully polished. The top of the box has a stepped cloud pattern.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Peter Pino, San Ildefonso & Helen (Santo Domingo).  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Marvin Martinez is a great-great-grandson of noted potter Dominguita Pino Martinez, a great-grandson of Maria Martinez and a grandson of Adam and Santana Martinez.  Marvin works with his wife, Frances (from Santa Clara) on their pottery. This large bowl is wide in shape.  It is fully polished and has a feather pattern around the neck and a water serpent around the body of the piece.  It is very intricately painted with a complex design.  The bowl was traditionally fired black  It is signed on the bottom, “Marvin & Frances Martinez”  in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Alvin Baca is known for his classic melon ribbed jars. This red jar is carved with 24 ribs. The entire jar is fully polished, both between each rib as well as the base!  The shape is a classic for Alvin with the high shoulders and the short neck.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.

David Baca is a son of Angela Baca and known for his traditional pottery.  This jar has a wide body and an elongated neck.  The shoulder of the jar is carved with 32 melon ribs.  Each rib is polished and they are matte between them.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Margaret Lou Gutierrez was the only daughter of noted potters Tonita & Juan Roybal.  She began making pottery in the 1970’s and this is one of her pieces from the 1990’s. This is a larger jar which is fully polished and painted around the shoulder.  The painted designs are variations of feather, cloud and hatch-work designs.  It is a very complex pattern which includes the very elongated feathers for which she is famous.  The hatchwork imagery is also very reminiscent of the painting style of her father, Juan Cruz.  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret Lou Gutierrez”.  It is hard to see the signature in the photo, but it is clear on the piece. 

This is a large wide bowl by Mabel Sunn from 1967. The piece is made using a paddle-and-anvil technique and twice fired.  The black designs are derived from a mixture of mesquite sap and cactus spines.  Today, there are very few Maricopa artists making pottery.   Mabel was well-known for pottery style and this large bowl is fully polished on the inside and outside.  It is painted around the shoulder with a wind design.  It received a First Place ribbon from the 1967 Arizona State Fair.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, ‘Mabel Sunn”.   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Mary Juan was a cousin of noted potter Ida Redbird. She was one of the original members of the 1938 Maricopa Pottery Cooperative. She was part of the early Revival Period artists from 1937-41. She continued to create pottery until the 1960s. Mary Juan was known for the finely polished deep red slip, graceful shapes, and finely painted designs.  This jar is polished red on the top and tan below the neck. The top area is painted with a cloud and lightning design.   This piece is traditionally handcrafted from native clay with the paddle and anvil method, iron oxide red slip is decorated with black mesquite sap paint and pit fired.  This jar is signed on the bottom, “Mary Juan”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Ida Redbird is one of the best known of the potters involved in the revival of Maricopa pottery from 1937-40. She was featured in Arizona Highways in 1948. Her pottery is made using a paddle-and-anvil technique and they are twice fired. The black designs are derived from a mixture of mesquite sap and cactus spines.  This is an exceptional piece of her pottery.  The jar has a round shoulder and the classic elongated neck. There are two handles extending down from the neck to the shoulder.  The jar is painted with scorpions near the base and cloud designs on the neck.  It received a second place ribbon from the 1970 Gallup Inter-tribal Ceremonials.  It is signed on the bottom, “Ida Redbird”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Definitely an exciting piece of history!

Mark Tahbo was renown for his creative pottery shapes, designs, and firings.  He learned to make pottery from his great-grandmother, Grace Chapella.  Each piece reflects the symmetry and thin walls of an excellent potter. The designs are painted using native clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black.  This is one of his few miniatures. It is from 1990. The piece is painted on the top with bird tail designs along with stars (the “x’s).  There are more stars on the bottom.  It was traditionally fired but with very light blushes.  It is signed on the bottom, “Mark Tahbo”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This is an exceptional lidded jar by Ray Tafoya.  The jar has a medallion on the lower side with a stylized bear.  Surrounding the bear are butterflies.  The neck has a feather pattern. The lid is a bear with a heart line.  There are additional clay colors of red, yellow, and blue, which accentuate the designs.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay with his hallmark, “White Mountain”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Note how many of the geometric designs are similar to ones used today by his daughter, Jennifer Tafoya.  

Kenneth Tafoya is a brother of noted potters Ray Tafoya and Paul Speckled Rock. He is also the uncle of Jennifer Tafoya.  Kenneth is known for his figurative pottery animals.  This is one of his classic bears.  It is slipped with a red mica for the body. The back of the bear is polished a deep red.  The design is a bear paw surrounded by a feather pattern.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Ken Tafoya”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

This bowl is an early piece by Maria Martinez.  The bowl was made and polished by Maria and painted by her husband, Julian. The piece is highly polished and the designs are simple with a cloud pattern at the rim and rain and lightning designs extending down to the shoulder. While the designs are simple, the style is one which perfectly shows off the highly polished surface for which Maria was known.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Marie”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Maria Martinez Signatures

This is an exceptional large jar by Jessie Garcia.  She is one of the great names in Acoma pottery.  Between 1950 and 1970, she along with Lucy Lewis and Marie Z. Chino, led the revival of Acoma pottery.  This is one of the largest pieces of her pottery we have come across.  It is a water jar shape and the entire piece is corrugated in style.  “Corrugated” means that each individual coil is left exposed and she would press them down to create the triangular design.  The result is a striking appearance as it seems as if each row overlaps the one below. The neck is plain.  The entire piece was traditionally fired, so there is some slight color variation from the fire.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Jessie Garcia”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Diane Lewis is known for her tightly painted miniature pottery.  This is one of her very intricately painted seedpots.  The top is painted with intricate Mimbres inspired Flute Players.  Around the edge of the piece are star and mountain designs. All the colors are from natural clay slips.  It is an exciting modern interpretation of classic Acoma imagery.  It is signed on the bottom, “D. Lewis”.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This jar is a more classic Acoma form with the high shoulder and short neck.  It is fully painted with fine-line star and plant designs.  There is a very intricate checkerboard pattern at the neck and base.  The black is from bee-weed. The jar is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

Angie Yazzie is renown for her thin-walled Taos pottery. Each piece is coil built and made from micaceous clay from near Taos Pueblo.  Angie focuses on traditional shapes along with making each piece nearly paper thin!  It almost feels like there is nothing there when you hold one! This bowl is carved on the rim in a step pattern.  It is often referred to as a cloud bowl or a “prayer bowl”.  The piece is made from micaceous clay so when it is fired it has a sparkling/metallic appearance.  Angie fires her pieces using wood and on this piece, the dark coloration is from the heat of the firing.  The fire-clouds add to the overall visual impact of the bowl.  It is signed on the bottom, “Angie Yazzie”.  She has won numerous awards for her work, including “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market in 2017.

Angie Yazzie is renown for her thin-walled Taos pottery. Each piece is coil built and made from micaceous clay from near Taos Pueblo.  Angie focuses on traditional shapes along with making each piece nearly paper thin!  It almost feels like there is nothing there when you hold one! This large bowl is carved on the rim in a step pattern.  It is often referred to as a cloud bowl or a “prayer bowl”.  The piece is made from micaceous clay so when it is fired it has a sparkling/metallic appearance.  Angie fires her pieces using wood, so it is a different firing process than Santa Clara blackware.  The result is that you can very slightly see the fire-clouds on the surface of the piece.  The bowl has some beautiful firing and when you look inside, it is almost like seeing clouds at night!  That is a great addition, as it speaks to the traditional firing methods!  The bowl is signed on the bottom, “Angie Yazzie”.  She has won numerous awards for her work, including “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market in 2017.

Sharon Lewis has developed her own very distinctive style of painted design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin-walled and then tightly painted.  This jar is a more classic Acoma form with the high shoulder and short neck.  It is fully painted with fine-line rain designs and checkerboard snow patterns.  The black is from bee-weed. The jar is signed on the bottom, “Sharon Lewis”.

This is a stunning gunmetal fired box by Russell Sanchez.  The shape is inspired by the historic San Ildefonso boxes from the 1920’s.  The box is fully polished and fired a gunmetal coloration.  On two of the sides, there are mountain lions etched away.  Each mountain lion has an inset piece of Lone Mountain Turquoise.  On the ends are mountain designs with inset hematite beads.  Around the base are two bands of hematite hei-shi beads.  The surround a checkerboard band which is matte and mica slipped.   The lid is a mountain lion lying down and it is fully polished while the base of the lid is mica.  The style of the mountain lion is reminiscent of the stone mountain lions in Bandolier (see last photo).  Russell says here that the mountain lions represent the twin war gods who protect the village. The box has both a striking historic appearance and a contemporary feel.   The box is signed on the bottom, as is the lid.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past

Linda Tafoya-Sanchez is a granddaughter of noted potter Margaret Tafoya and a daughter of Lee & Betty Tafoya.  She is known for her intricately carved pottery.  The jar has butterflies carved around the shoulder.  The base has flower petals carved and the neck is a swirling rain design.  The rim of the jar is also carved with a flower style and it is slipped in mica.  The contrast of the mica on the rim and the fully polished jar is striking.  There is a lot of variation in style, design, and technique on this jar.  Linda was among the first Santa Clara potters to begin using the mica as a design element after she was given some by her San Juan Pueblo in-laws.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Linda Tafoya-Sanchez”.

“The clay is a really important part of making the pottery. Listening to family members talk about how they used to get clay with Grandma and Grandpa [Margaret & Alcario Tafoya] and how they would make it an all-day venture. You feel that family connection when you are digging the clay out of the earth. It ties you to your home. There’s no other place you are going to find that kind of clay. You think about how many years people have dug that clay out of the earth, how many years Mother Earth has provided that clay for us.”  Linda Tafoya-Sanchez, Spoken Through Clay