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.  Both of these jars are in the classic Acoma olla shape with a narrow base and a wide shoulder. This jar is one of her smaller pieces and it has a checkerboard rim and very intricately painted wind pattern that encompasses the entire piece.   This jar uses such classic imagery and yet has a very modern  appearance.  The combination of the thin walls and the tightly painted designs on her work is simply perfect and visually stunning! 

4.75"w x 4.75"h       

$700.00

Barbara & Joseph Cerno - Acoma     

Barbara & Joseph Cerno are known for their very large...ok, HUGE vessels.  This is a stunning jar with classic Acoma imagery around the entire piece. The jar is fully designed with parrots, birds, rainbows and plants.  All the various colors are derived from different clay slips.  The flow of design and the intricacy of the painting is simply stunning!  Barbara & Joseph are among the most renown contemporary Acoma potters for their revival of historic patterns.  They have won numerous awards at Santa Fe Indian Market the Heard Market and other prestigious events.

16.5"w x 16"h

$6000.00

Marie Z. Chino (1907-1982) - Acoma    NEW

Marie Z. Chino is one of the Matriarchs of Acoma pueblo.  Her children and grandchildren are numerous and include potters Grace Chino, Rose Chino, Tena Garcia, Carol Chino and others.  Her pottery forms are amazingly uniform and renown for being a perfect blend of form and design.  On the left is a miniature seedpot with a mountain pattern painted around the top.  The seedpot has a few areas of spalling on the surface.  On the right is one of her classic fully painted pieces.  The design on this seedpot is stunning with a complex array of plant designs and connecting linear patterns.  Take a closer look at the above images and note how the oval and triangular designs overlap creating a variety of patterns.  It is certainly complex work of this style for which she was so renowned!  It was originally purchased at Dewey Gallery in Santa Fe in 1978.  The piece is in very good condition very few areas of spalling on the surface.  Both pieces are in overall very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  As for the spalling, unfortunately, that is typical of much of the Acoma pottery from the 1960's-70's period. Marie Z. Chino's pottery can be found in the book, "14 Families in Pueblo Pottery" along with numerous other publications.  The photo of Marie Z. Chino above is courtesy of Lynne Spivey.

Left:        Seedpot with mountain Design        2.25"w x 2"h          $110.00

Right:     Seedpot with Floral Design                6.5"w x 5.5"h        $700.00 - SOLD

Carolyn is a sister of noted potters Rebecca Lucario, Judy Lewis and Diane Lewis.  Carolyn is well known for her beautifully painted pottery using Mimbres style figures.  This wonderful seedpot has a Mimbres style fish and its tail is in relief from the surface of the piece.  It is surrounded by very tightly painted fineline and geometric patterns.  Carolyn has won numerous awards for her intricately painted pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum Market.

2.5"w x 1.5"h           

$150.00

Lolita Concho was among those potters helping to revive historic Acoma pottery designs and forms in the 1970's.  She was the mother-in-law of noted potter Dorothy Torivio and taught her the techniques for painting tight even lines.  Both of these pieces are from the early 1970's.  This was the period when the Acoma potters re-introduced a fourth color back to Acoma pottery, recreating the historic "four color" pieces.  The jar on the left is a classic shape with a high shoulder and a sloping neck. Around the neck are parrots and with a polychrome rainbow design.  Below the shoulder are rain cloud and feather motifs.  The jar was traditionally fired so there are fire clouds on the base.  There is spalling around the surface of the piece, which can be seen in the photos.  The large jar on the right combines both the parrot design and very intricately painted fineline patterns around the entire piece!  The shape of the jar is also exceptional, reminding one of the early ollas.   This piece has a few areas of spalling which is typical of the 1970's period of Acoma pottery.  Both pieces are in overall good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.   These wonderful vessels are an exciting moment in the history of reviving ancient styles in Acoma pottery.

Left:                Water Jar with Birds and Rain Patterns             10"w x 9"h                $600.00

Right:             Large Jar with Parrots and Fineline patterns    12"w x 9.5"h             $900.00          

This turtle is coil built and has three children on its back. The back of the turtle is also very detailed with the geometric patterns.  The turtle is hollow and the contrast of the children on the turtle is visually striking.  The turtle is often part of the story of the creation story with the children holding onto its back.  This piece is from the 1970s and it is signed, "A. Davis" on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition.

7" long x 4"h

$150.00

Max Early is one of the few potters working at Laguna Pueblo.  He is a grandson of note potter Clara Encino who taught him to make pottery as well as learning from Gladys Paquin.  Max creates both traditional and innovative forms and is as known for his pottery as for his poetry.  This unique piece is a modern take on the wedding vase. The pieces has all square sides from the body of the piece to the spouts!  It is slipped in a white clay slip and the painted with a red clay. The design is modern version of a plant design which historically has often been used on Laguna pottery.  The free-flowing design encircles the piece and accents the shape. The rims of the two spouts have pointed sections which again replicate the idea of a plant design.  The square spouts of the vase are joined by a twisted clay handle which is turned at just the right angle that it looks almost as if it is metal rebar in clay!  Max collaborated on this piece with Norvan Johnson who is also a contemporary pottery.  Together they have created something inspired by traditional shapes and design yet with a spectacular modern style!  Max has won numerous awards for his pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Indian Market and is certainly one of the innovative Pueblo potters to watch!

9"wx 8"h

$900.00 - SOLD

Jennifer Estevan is renown for her thin walled pottery with classic Acoma designs.  This jar is coil built and very thin walled!  The design is her interpretation of the classic lightning pattern. She has a remarkable ability to use the design to enhance the shape of the jar. Note how around the neck the pattern is horizontal while around the remainder of the piece it is fluid covers the entire surface.  The black on the jar is painted with bee-weed which is a plant.   It is certainly a spectacular piece of her pottery!

5"w x 5.5"h

$600.00 - SOLD

Paula Estevan is renown for her intricately painted Acoma pottery. She has been making pottery for over 20 years, and each year the work seems to become more intricate and delicate in design and form.  Here are two striking pieces of her intricately painted pottery.  The jar on the left is a great shape with a high shoulder.  The design is a series of angular rectangles that create a "stitch" pattern that almost makes the jar look like it is a basket!  Look at the second image above and note the op-art illusion that it could be a willow basket with a stitched design!  The jar on the right is has a graceful shape with the slightly flaring rim.  The design is a turtle-back pattern, meant to look like the back of the shell of a turtle.  Note how skillfully she has changed the shape of the design to match the shape of the jar!   Each piece is very thin walled and coil built.  They are painted with native clay slips and bee-weed.   Paula is certainly creating pottery with a strikingly intricate visual image! Each piece is simply stunning!

Left:            Jar with Red/Black Mountain pattern              5.25"w x 4.25"h            $400.00

Right:         Jar with Turtle Shell Design                              5.25"w x 7.5"h              $450.00

Robert Kasero, Sr. - Laguna     

Robert Kasero is a Laguna potter who learned to make pottery from Paula Estevan.  Much like her work, his pieces are very thin walled and precision painted. Here are the smallest and the largest pieces of his work we have had so far in the gallery!  This seedpot is one of his larger pieces with a stunning use of oval and diamond shapes accented by the red clay slip and the black bee-weed.  Robert is able to utilized the "op-art" style of imagery perfectly for the shapes, as the designs start small, then get larger by the shoulder and small again at the base.  The size is wonderful and it is amazingly thin walled as is expected from his pottery.  In addition to the thin walls, he also slightly indents the bottoms of his pottery, reminiscent of the historic Laguna vessels. He is definitely a potter to watch!

8"w x 4.75"h              

$800.00 - SOLD

Carmel Lewis is the youngest daughter of renowned potter Lucy Lewis.  Along with her sisters she continues the family tradition of making classic Acoma pottery.  Carmel's pottery focuses on pre-historic and older Acoma designs.  This cylinder shape is derived from pre-historic forms, many of which have been found at Chaco Canyon.  The designs are classic Acoma birds, parrots, rain and show patterns.  The composition of the jar blends panels on the top with two panels near the base.  Carmel's pottery brings to mind the early work of her mother, but with a more modern appearance and her own tightness of design.

4.25"w x  7.25"h                   

$375.00 - SOLD

Dolores Lewis is a daughter of renowned potter Lucy M. Lewis.  Dolores is renown for her classic shapes and finely painted designs.  On the left is a seedpot with a very intricately painted lightning design. This complicated imagery is one that encircles the entire piece. On the right is a classic bowl with eight heartline deer painted on the bowl.  They are all inspired by the use of the deer imagery in historic Zuni and Acoma pottery.  The bowl is a very round shape and the deer are all tightly painted.  There is a simple cloud pattern around the rim and the base.  Dolores paints her deer in the "old style" with no outline around them and just the red clay for the heartline in contrast to the white clay surface.  Dolores has won numerous awards for her pottery and continues the legacy of her mother's traditional imagery on her pottery.

Left:        Seedpot with Lightning Design             3.75"w x 3.25"h                $150.00 -  SOLD
Right:     Bowl with Heartline Deer                        7"w x 4.5"h                       $425.00

Dolores Lewis is a daughter of renowned potter Lucy M. Lewis.  She is renown for her classic shapes and finely painted designs.  Here are two smaller, but charming pieces of her pottery. On the left is a classic Acoma style owl with a painted body.  On the right is a seedpot with petroglyph style deer, ram and antelope.  They are separated by a fineline design.  The red coloration is one of the traditional colors for Acoma pottery, but one that few potters use today.  Dolores has won numerous awards for her pottery and continues the legacy of her mother's traditional imagery on her pottery.

Left:        Acoma Owl                                                        3"w x 3"h            $60.00
Right:     Red Seedpot with Petroglyph Designs       3.5"w x 2"h         $100.00

Drew Lewis is the son of noted potter Lucy Lewis, who was one of the great Matriarch potters of the past century.  Drew learned to make pottery from his mother.  It is not often that we come across his pottery and this is one of the few collaborative pieces of their work we have seen.  Lucy made the bowl and it was painted by Drew. The bowl is painted with the brownish-red clay slip from Acoma and then highlighted with a clay slip to create the mountain and rain design on the surface. The bowl has a very traditional yet very modern appearance. It is signed on the bottom "Lucy M. Lewis, Drew".  The bowl is in very good condition with some small areas of spalling and a small chip on the inside of the rim.  It is definitely a fascinating piece and certainly a piece of history by these two important potters! 

3.25"w x 2.5"h        

$450.00 - SOLD

Emma Lewis is a daughter of renowned potter Lucy M. Lewis.  Dolores is renown for her use of classic shapes and tightly painted designs.  This bowl has four Mimbres inspired antelope as the design. The bodies are highlighted with red clay slips and they are separated by rain and cloud imagery around the rim.  Emma has won numerous awards for her pottery and continues the legacy of her mother's traditional imagery on her pottery.

 6.5"w x 3.75"h      

$375.00

Eric Lewis is a son of noted potter Sharon Lewis.  This seedpot is an exceptional shape with a very round form.  However, it is his graphics which are so striking.  This seedpot has a flowing cloud and lightning pattern which encircles the entire piece.  It is fascinating to see how much the imagery changes with just a small turn of the piece.  Eric is certainly one of the young potters to watch! 

4"w x 4"h

$250.00 - SOLD

Lucy Lewis is one of the great Matriarchs of Pueblo pottery.  This self taught potter, inspired by the pre-historic Mimbres pottery found near Acoma Pueblo.  These four miniatures reflect the variety of her work. The seedpot on the left has a butterfly and rain fine-line pattern.  It is delicately painted and very thin walled and signed, "Lucy M. Lewis" on the bottom. The bowl in the center left is a classic fine-line pattern with a inter-connecting designs all painted above the shoulder.  The bowl is signed, "Lucy M. Lewis" on the bottom.  The small bowl on the center right has a mountain pattern painted in two bands around the shoulder of the piece.  It is signed "Lucy M. Lewis" on the bottom.  The jar on the right has a fineline star painting. It is actually signed on the inside "Lucy M. Lewis" as the base is so small!  The black on all of the pieces is derived from bee-weed, a local plant.  They are all in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  There is some small spalling on the jar on the right.  While Lucy made a variety of sizes and styles it is still exciting to see such a wonderful group of miniatures!

Left:                      Seedpot with Rain and Butterfly Designs            3.25"w x 2.75"h             $600.00 -  SOLD

Center Left:         Fineline Bowl                                                             3.5"w x 2.5"h                 $400.00

Center Right:      Bowl with Mountain Pattern                                   2.25"w x 1.5"h              $200.00

Right:                    Jar with Fineline Star Pattern                                  2.5"w x 2.25"h              $300.00

Lucy Lewis is one of the great Matriarch potters of the past century.  She learned to make pottery on her own and revived the pottery making process at Acoma Pueblo.  Here are two classic pieces of her pottery.  On the left is a bowl with a series of alternating fineline and mountain panels.  Each is delicately painted and creates a striking visual appearance.  The bowl on the right uses more classic style Acoma imagery. It has the rain (lines), lightning and cloud (black triangular areas) patterns encircling the bowl.  Both pieces have been native fired and has a beautiful coloration to the white clay slip.  Each is signed on the bottom, "Lucy M. Lewis".  The black for the design is derived from bee-weed, which is a local plant. Both pieces are in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is definitely a classic style of pottery by one of the great Matriarchs of Pueblo pottery!

Left:            Bowl with Fineline & Mountain Pattern         5.5"w x 5"h                 $1800.00   

Right:         Bowl with Rain and Lightning Design           5"w x 3.75"h                $1000.00

   Lucy Lewis (1898-1992) - Acoma     NEW

Lucy Lewis is one of the great Matriarch potters of the past century.  She learned to make pottery on her own and revived the pottery making process at Acoma Pueblo.  Her pottery from the 1960's and early 1970's is among the finest of her career.  This jar on the left has a fineline pattern encompassing the surface.  Note how the lines are painted to make a series of interlocking stars.  The jar is in very good condition with some small pitting.  The bowl on the right is very tightly painted with fine lines which create squares, diamonds and triangles! It is interesting how the various deisgns overlap and create new graphic forms.  It is in very good condition with some very small areas of spalling.  Both pieces are signed on the bottom, "Lucy M. Lewis".  Both pieces are in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is definitely a classic style of pottery by one of the great Matriarchs of Pueblo pottery!

Left:        Jar with Fine Line Star Pattern            7"w x 5.75"h             $3200.00    

Right:     Bowl with Fineline Geometrics          3.5"w x 3.25"h           $800.00

Sharon Lewis - Acoma     NEW

Sharon Lewis is married to Bernard Lewis and she is from a family of well-known potters, including sisters-in-law Carolyn Concho, Marilyn Henderson and Rebecca Lucario.  Sharon has developed her own very distinctive style of design.  Her pieces are beautifully formed, thin walled and then tightly painted.  On the left is a small seedpot with a butterfly in relief.  Surrounding the butterfly are a series of rain patterns which are painted with various clay colors.  The larger seedpot in the center has a very intricately painted design around the body of the piece with a star pattern on the top and various rain and fineline patterns on the side.  The top has a turtle in relief.  The seedpot on the right has two lizards in relief.  Their bodies are painted and there are additional polychrome plant designs around the side of the piece. Sharon has won numerous awards for her pottery and has been featured in books on both Pueblo and Acoma pottery. 

Left:            Seedpot with Raised Butterfly   2.75"w x 2.5"h        $225.00   

Center:       Seedpot with Raised Turtle        3"w x 3"h                $350.00

Right:         Seedpot with Raised Lizards      2.75"w x 2.5"h        $225.00 

        Rebecca Lucario - Acoma     

Rebecca Lucario is famous for her very fine line painted pottery.  Each piece is coil built and the precision of her painting is often breathtaking.  This plate on the left is from 1983 and has Mimbres style fish as the primary design.  They are separated by a very detailed fine-line pattern used to represent the water.  The fish are highlighted with additional red clay slips.  The jar on the right is more recent and it is a classic olla shape with a very finely painted star pattern as the design.  Note how the stars on the top and lower sections intertwine.  Rebecca is a sister of noted potters Carolyn Concho and Marilyn Ray. She has won numerous awards at Santa Fe Indian Market and her work was on the cover of the 2002 book and museum catalog "Changing Hands: Art Without Reservations".

Left:        Plate with Fish & Finelines            10" diameter                $1400.00 - SOLD

Right:     Jar with Fineline Star Pattern        3.25"w x 3"h                 $450.00

    Yvonne Lucas - Laguna/Navajo    

Yvonne Lucas continues to create her own path in reviving historic Laguna pottery.  She is married to Steve Lucas, and learned to make pottery from him and his aunt, Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo.  Here are two elegant examples of her pottery. The jar on the left is a beautiful shape with a narrow base and wide shoulder.  There is a slight turn out to the rim of the jar.  The design is a complicated triangular pattern in red around the neck and shoulder and a checkerboard pattern around the sides.  There is an alternating plant pattern that interconnects with the checkerboard section.  The red areas are stone polished and the black is bee-weed (a plant).  The jar won a 2nd place at Santa Fe Indian Market in 1998.  The bowl on the right  has a narrow base and a very round shoulder.  The top and bottom are both highly polished with a micaceous red clay slip. The central area of the bowl is polished with a white clay slip and then painted with a series of traditional plant patterns.  Yvonne is one of the only potters from Laguna still firing traditionally, and the color variations are stunning, with almost a pinkish, meringue-like cast to areas of the white.  She has won numerous awards for her work and her pieces can be found in museums around the country.

Left:       Jar with Floral and Rain Patterns                        10.5"w x 8"h        $2600.00

Right:    Flat bowl with Plant Designs                               10" x 6"h              $2000.00

Charmae Natseway - Acoma   

Charmae Natseway learned to make pottery from her mother, Ethel Shields.  While she began making more traditional vessels, her work has evolved over the past decade to more non-conventional shapes for her "seedpots".  She is one of the few potters who can create such unique forms and such flat surfaces. This piece is a box seedpot with a very square appearance on each of the sides.  The sides of the box have a rain and thunder pattern, which seems to resonate around the surface.  The top of the box is beautifully painted with a bird on the left side, rain and clouds in the center and mountain and earth designs on the right.  The black is derived from bee-weed (a plant) and it is accented with additional clay slips of green, brown and red.  Note how the colored areas are painted with a pointillism technique with a solid painted area which seems to break apart into a series of small dots!  The result is visually striking.  The lid is also square with similar linear designs as those around the box.  Charmae has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and other events.  Her work is a striking blend of the contemporary with traditional designs.

4"w x 4"w x 2.75"h (w/ lid)         

$475.00 - SOLD

1.  2.    3.   4.     

Thomas Natseway - Laguna   

Thomas Natseway is one of the most renown miniaturists in Pueblo pottery.  Rarely does he make a piece which is over 1" tall!  Here is an amazing grouping of his pieces, each made from native clay and painted with native clay slips.  Thomas's pottery encompasses both recreating historic pieces in miniature and also his own innovative designs. The first piece is a canteen with  Zuni style designs on the front and bears as the handles.  The second piece is a canteen with Hopi geometric patterns and a tablita style lid. A "tablita" is a headdress worn during traditional pueblo dances.  The third piece is a Shalako katsina figure.  Note the amazing intricacy of the painting on the body and the tablita!  The fourth piece is a square jar with Zuni style designs and a tablita lid.   Thomas has won numerous awards for his pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market and Gallup Ceremonials. 

1.           Canteen w/ Bears                                  .75"w x .75"h       $175.00

2.           Canteen with Lid                                 .75"w x 1"h           $225.00    - SOLD

3.           Shalako katsina Figure                       .75"w x .75"h        $225.00

4.          Jar with Tablita Lid                              .5w x 1.25"h          $225.00 

Lilly Salvador is a sister of noted potter, Wanda Aragon and the daughter of Frances Torivio.  Lilly is renown for her thin walled pottery and her intricately painted designs. She is one of the few at Acoma who continues to traditionally fire her pottery out-doors.  This open bowl is inspired by of the pre-historic Mimbres pottery.  The piece is called, "The Hunter" and there is a single figure in the inside of the bowl and two rabbits.  Note the use of the red clay slip and also the grey clay, for which she is famous.  The bowl is thin walled and painted with precision perfection.  The outside of the bowl has a geometric rain and lightning pattern.  Lilly has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and is instrumental in keeping alive and reviving historic Acoma designs!

3.75"w x 1.75"h

$275.00- SOLD

Myron is one of the few Laguna potters working today.  He learned to make pottery from Gladys Paquin and creates pieces which are thin walled and tightly painted. The imagery on much of his pottery is derived from pre-historic pottery designs. This jar has one pattern, the eternity band, which he has painted in various directions.  By his placement of the design along the neck, at the shoulder and around the base, he has created an optical illusion that there is more than one design on the bowl!  Myron has won numerous awards for his pottery at Gallup Ceremonials, New Mexico State Fair and other art events.  It is great to see a potter reviving ancient designs yet giving them a very modern appearance!

8.25"w x 8"h

Stella Shutiva was renown for her corrugated pottery vessels.  She was a daughter of noted potter Jessie Garcia, sister of Anita Lowden and the mother of Jacquie Shutiva-Hista.  Her corrugated style of pottery was inspired by pre-historic style corrugated vessels.  Here are two classic pieces of her pottery.  On the left is a long neck jar with foxes applied on each side. The backs of the foxes are painted with a lightning design.  The bowl on the right is fully corrugated and has two handles which are painted with a snow, rain and lightning pattern.  Both pieces are in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  These pieces encompass the variety of her style of corrugated pottery and  reflect her importance as one of the early Acoma innovators. 

Left:            Corrugated Jar with Animal Handles              6"w x 6"h                          $600.00  - SOLD            

Right:         Corrugated Bowl with Handles                        7"w x 4.75"h                     $500.00

      Dorothy Torivio (1946-2011) - Acoma      NEW

Dorothy Torivio 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 stunning larger piece of her pottery with her classic elongated neck shape.  This form works perfectly for her pottery as the long neck and round shoulder emphasize the changing scale of the design.  The design on the jar on the left is the Yucca Leaf pattern.  Each of the leaves is connected and range from small at the neck and base to larger at the shoulder.  The jar on the right is a miniature version of her long neck jar with the mountain design which spirals down from the neck to the shoulder and then back to the base.  Both pieces are in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Dorothy won numerous awards for her pottery, including Best of Pottery at the Heard Indian Market and was featured in books such as "The Art of Clay" and "Legacy of Generations".

Left:        Jar with Yucca Leaf Patterns             3"w x 2.5"h            $325.00

Right:     Jar with Mountain Swirl Design     2.25"w x 2.75"h     $300.00

Frances Torivio (1905-2001) - Acoma      NEW

Frances Torivio was a sister of noted potter Lolita Concho and the mother of potters Lilly Salvador and Wanda Aragon.  Her pottery was known for the tightly painted traditional designs and the traditional firing.  This jar is from the 1960's and has a classic Acoma design with the alternating white and red panels.  The lines in the center of the red panels are rain designs.  The jar is a classic shape with the high shoulder and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  The dark coloration is from the smoke of the outdoor firing. 

4"w x 3.75"h          

$150.00

Sandra Victorino - Acoma     NEW

Stunning!  This large jar is a spectacular vessel by Sandra Victorino, a niece of noted potter Dorothy Torivio. The jar is a graceful shape and very thin walled. The wide shoulder and the elongated neck are the perfect shape for her painted op-art designs.  The imagery on this piece is a feather pattern, which she has painted in a spiral design which swirls up from the base to the neck.  Note how the imagery gets smaller as it reaches the neck of the jar!  As well, the overall symmetry of the vessel adds to the elegance of the piece.  The jar is coil built and then painted with bee-weed, a plant used to create the black coloration against the white clay.  The jar with the black and white combination is a modern appearance with historic imagery.  Sandra has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and her work can be found in numerous museums around the country.

8.5"w x 8"h            

$1850.00

Sandra Victorino - Acoma     NEW

Sandra Victorino is  a niece of noted potter Dorothy Torivio.  Under the tutelage of both her mother and her aunt, Sandra has developed her own unique style of pottery.  Each piece is coil built and then painted with bee-weed, a plant used to create the black (or brownish) coloration against the white clay.  The red is a native clay slip.  Sandra has her own unique style of "op-art", where the patterns start small, then get larger and then smaller again on the vessel.  These pieces reflect the variety and intricacy of her pottery designs. On the left  is a stunning piece of her work, with amazingly intricate designs painted which swirl around the surface.  Note the variance in designs from the butterfly pattern to the fineline designs and use of the red clay slip as an accent.  The jar on the right has a trapezoidal design swirling down from the neck and red slipped diamond shaped rain pattern around the shoulder.  The larger jar on the right has the white clay painted with the black bee-weed, creating a very modern appearance. The jar is very thin walled and the design is a plant, butterfly wing and fineline (rain) pattern. The intricacy of the designs and the use of the op-art imagery adds to the sophistication of the jar!  In both pieces, Sandra creates a beautiful sense of balance between the form and design.   She has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and her work can be found in numerous museums around the country.

Left:       Large Jar with Swirl Pattern                  8"w x 8"h             $1500.00

Right:    Large Jar w/ Butterfly/Plant Designs   8.25"w x 9.25"h   $2000.00

Laurencita Herrera (1912- 1984) - Cochiti  

Laurencita was the matriarch of a family of renown potters. Her children include Mary Frances Herrera, Seferina Ortiz, both of whom she taught to make pottery.  She is also the grandmother of potters Virgil Ortiz, Janice Ortiz and the great-grandmother of Lisa Holt. Here are three distinctive pieces of her pottery from the 1960's.  On the left is a bird effigy which is charming in style and wonderfully painted.  The fish on the right is a great form and movement to the body.  All three pieces are in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. 

Laurencita's pottery can be found in museums nationwide and in various books on modern Pueblo pottery.

Left:        Bird Effigy            6"w x 6"h             $150.00 - SOLD

Right:     Fish                        6"long x 3.5"h     $175.00 -  SOLD

Lisa Holt & Harlan Reano - Cochiti & Santo Domingo  NEW

Lisa Holt & Harlan Reano utilized traditional shapes with innovative designed often based on classic Cochiti imagery.  This jar is a classic shape with a wide shoulder and a low neck.  Lisa makes the pottery using the traditional coil method and then they are painted by Harlan. Each piece is traditionally fired.  Lisa learned to make pottery from her mother, Inez Ortiz and she is also a niece of Virgil Ortiz, Janice Ortiz and a granddaughter of Seferina Ortiz. It is the design on this jar which so perfectly complements the shape!  Harlan has used a stylized spinach leaf pattern which is painted around the neck (look at the cream area, not the black).  This same pattern is then repeated below the shoulder with more of a floral appearance and additional triangular leaf designs.  Again, the spinach leaf pattern is painted near the base.  The use of this imagery is important as it is the spinach leaf, which picked, boiled and left to dry, that creates the black for the painted designs!  The other red and cream colored clays are also native slips applied to the vessel before firing.  Lisa and Harlan have won numerous awards for their pottery at the Heard Indian Fair and Santa Fe Indian Market.  They are also featured in books such as "Talking with the Clay" and are certainly among the artists to watch!

9.75"w x 8.5"h

$2500.00

Lisa Holt & Harlan Reano - Cochiti & Santo Domingo 

Lisa Holt and Harlan Reano make an amazing team, working to create innovative pottery using traditional techniques.  Lisa makes the vessels and they are painted by Harlan.  The materials are all traditional as the red and cream are both native clays while the black is wild spinach (a plant). These two jars represent the cultural backgrounds of these two potters. On the left is a jar with a classic olla shape and it is painted with designs  modified from traditional Santo Domingo pottery. The use of black geometric shapes on a white background is a style which began in Santo Domingo in the late 1800's.  This jar has a striking spin on the simpler style with the use of diamond shape to encircle the bowl and triangles to intersect the larger shapes. The top and base of the jar have a classic reverse triangular design.  The jar on the right is inspired by Cochiti pottery with a spinach leaf design around the top and bottom. The central area has a modified cloud and wind pattern.  The jar has a beautifully elongated neck which allows for such dramatic use of design.  Note as well that both pieces have a "spirit line" which is a break in the painted design on the lip which is seen in traditional pottery as a way to let out the artists spirit from the clay.  Lisa and Harlan have won numerous awards for their pottery at the Heard Indian Fair and Santa Fe Indian Market, including such top honors as "Best of Pottery".   They are also featured in books such as "Talking with the Clay" and are certainly among the artists to watch!

Left:            Jar with Geometric Star Pattern                    7"w x  6.75"h            $900.00 

Right:         Jar with Spinach Leaf & Cloud Pattern      6.5"w x 7.75"             $1200.00

Lisa Holt & Harlan Reano - Cochiti & Santo Domingo   

Lisa and Harlan are among the few potters creating such large vessels today. This amazing jar was made by Lisa and it is thin walled and a perfect shape with a slight dip in the shoulder as it rises up to the neck.  The painted designs are by Harlan and perfectly fit the shape of the jar.  Here they are a series of linear rain and lightning patterns, arranged in various sections.  The jar has a perfect symmetry and flow of design.  It is simply captivating!  While the imagery has a contemporary appearance, the materials are all traditional as the red and cream are both native clays while the black is wild spinach (a plant).  Lisa and Harlan have won numerous major awards for their pottery at the Heard Indian Fair and Santa Fe Indian Market.  They are also featured in books such as "Talking with the Clay" and their work can be found in museums nationwide.  They are definitely among the leading younger potters working today!

14.5"w x 14.25"h

$5500.00 -  SOLD

Seferina Ortiz (1931-2007) - Cochiti 

Seferina Ortiz learned to make pottery from her mother, Laurencita Herrera.  She is also the matriarch of a family of innovator potters including Virgil Ortiz, Janice Ortiz and Lisa Holt.  Seferina created traditional style Cochiti pottery figures and vessels. This bowl has a very tightly painted cloud pattern around the neck and another cloud pattern around the base of the bowl.  There are two lizards which are on the sides of the bowl.  The black is derived from wild spinach which is a plant and then boiled and left to harden and used as a paint.  It is traditionally fired and are in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Seferina won numerous awards for her pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market. 

6.5"w x 5.25"h       

$700.00 -  SOLD

   Virgil Ortiz- Cochiti     NEW

It's not often that we get back in pieces from previous shows of Virgil's but they are always a welcome sight and remembrance.  This striking figure is from Virgil's 2009 show which was entitled "Tourniquet".  The figures were some of first that he had made using more refined clay techniques which he has gone on to utilize in the Velocity Series.  This female fire is standing astride and he has painted her so that the designs enhance the shape of the figure. Note the face, as Virgil said he wanted to create beautiful faces on the figures for this show, but then he used the leather blindfolds to "hide" them.  This was the first time he had used the leather blindfolds on his figures.  Note as well that she also has a leather whip in her hand, as Virgil was also using this show to present more sophisticated versions of the 'sexy"  figures seen in the Wheelwright Museum exhibit from around 2000.   This figure is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is a fantastic piece of Virgil's history and his continuing transition of using traditional imagery, clays and firing techniques yet empowered with his innovative designs!  Virgil has won numerous awards for his pottery and been featured in numerous magazines, both nationally and internationally.  His work can be found in numerous books, including "Free Spirit", "NDN Art" and "Changing Hands".  He was also selected in 2010 as one of the 35 most influential Native Artists of the past 35 years in American Indian Art magazine!

10"w x 15.5"h

$6500.00

   Virgil Ortiz- Cochiti      

This stunning female figure captures the contemporary vitality of the traditional Cochiti monos figures of the 1880's.  The figure is coil built and the black is derived from wild spinach (a plant) and remainder are all natural clays. The use of four arms, the flowing dress and traditional Cochiti designs give the piece both a traditional and modern appearance.  The headdress on the figure consists of three circular balls which are inset as separate pieces into the clay.  Virgil said he created these female figures to look both beautiful and with a hint of danger.  Note how the painted designs on the body perfectly fit the shape of the figure, enhancing the form. He has created a trompe l'oeil figure which gives an impression of "clay in motion" The traditional lightning and sun patterns are used throughout.   This piece has an elegant balance of form and design.  Virgil has won numerous awards for his pottery and been featured in numerous magazines, both nationally and internationally.  His work can be found in numerous books, including "Free Spirit", "NDN Art" and "Changing Hands".  He was also selected in 2010 as one of the 35 most influential Native Artists of the past 35 years in American Indian Art magazine!

9"w x 20"h

$7700.00

The Story of "Velocity" and "The Blind Archers"...the Pueblo Revolt of 1680/2180

    Virgil Ortiz- Cochiti      NEW

For the past several years Virgil Ortiz has brought his collectors on a fascinating  journey through the creation of his own world inspired by the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.  He has created characters in the past who are the same 500 years in the future.  It is 2180 and there is a again a Pueblo Revolt.  Velocity and Blind Archers gives form to the oppressor and the oppressed, the freedom fighter and the dominator.  Recurring issues of social, economic and religious freedom again appear as part of this movement. This jar is one of the smaller vessels we have had from Virgil and it is beautifully painted with Tahu, the Blind Archer, on each side.  This is an iconic image that Virgil has created with the rose in her mouth and on this piece he has added the bow and arrows to the  imagery.  Separating the two figures is a stylized tendril design.  Note as well on the lip the space in the painted design which is the "spirit line" which Virgil paints on all his pottery as a tribute to the historic Cochiti pottery.  The jar is coil built and it is painted with native clay slips and bee-wee (black).  It is amazing that using native materials and traditional firing that Virgil can visualize and then create unique pieces with the clay "in motion".  Virgil has won numerous awards for his pottery and been featured in numerous magazines, both nationally and internationally.  His work can be found in numerous books, including "Free Spirit", "NDN Art" and "Changing Hands". 

7"w x 8.5"h         

$2800.00

Diego Romero (b. 1964)- Cochiti      

While Diego Romero relies on the Chongo Brothers for much of the narrative in his pottery, it is often Coyote, the Trickster, who gets them into trouble.  Early on Diego's Coyote was inspired by the work of Keith Haring and has a similar blocky style.  Originally Coyote tempted those around him to drink too much or just behave badly. In his more recent works Coyote appears dancing in groups, but representing more of a "Life is Good" perspective.  This bowl has Coyote out in the moonlight with Hound, a new character Diego has created.  In this piece, Coyote is on the left and Hound is on the right (with the triangular ears).  This bowl is actually the first appearance of Hound, as noted after the title on the side of the bowl.  The design is wonderfully painted with lots of motion to the two figures and a complex pattern around the rim.  The outside of the bowl is fully polished with a red clay slip.  As with all of his work, the bowl is signed, "Chongo Made Me, Chongo Painted Me".  Diego studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, before subsequently attaining degrees from the Otis College of Art and Design (BFA.) and UCLA (MFA).  He has won numerous awards for his pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market and his pieces can be found in museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cartier Foundation, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Denver Art Museum, the Heard Museum, the British Museum, and the Scottish National Museum.   He is also featured in books such as "Free Spirit", "NDN Art" and "Changing Hands".

10.5" w x 4.75" deep

$4800.00

Diego Romero (b. 1964)- Cochiti    

Diego Romero has been one of the early innovators in Pueblo pottery since the late 1980's.  He studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, before subsequently attaining degrees from the Otis College of Art and Design (BFA.) and UCLA (MFA).  His pottery forms are nearly consistent, based on the Mimbres pottery of around 1100.  His graphic central imagery is a "modern" version of the intricately painted bowl and are painted in a graphic art style.  This bowl is entitled, "Chac Mool". The imagery evokes the ideas of Chaco Canyon and the evolving archeological ideas of the Chaco Meridian and the connection of the pre-historic southwest with Mayan and Aztec cultures. The word "chacmool" is meant to denote a sculptural figure seated on the ground with its upper back raised, the head is turned to a near right angle, the legs are drawn up to the buttocks, elbows rest on the ground, and its hands hold a vessel, disk or plate on the stomach where offerings may have been placed or human sacrifices carried out. Archeologist Augustus Le Plongeon excavated one of the statues in 1875 and gave it the name "caacmol", which was the ancient Mayan name to a powerful warrior prince who had once ruled Chiche'n Itza', and was represented by the sculpture. The name was later changed to "Chacmool" which is the archaic Yucatecan Maya word for puma.  On this bowl Diego has painted this classic figure in his graphic angular style.  The figure is resting on a rock wall with even older pottery vases buried below. This bowl is from 2007 and it is in perfect condition.   Diego has won numerous awards for his pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market and his pieces can be found in museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cartier Foundation, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Denver Art Museum, the Heard Museum, the British Museum, and the Scottish National Museum.   He is also featured in books such as "Free Spirit", "NDN Art" and "Changing Hands".

10.5" diameter x 5.5"deep

$5000.00

Diego Romero (b. 1964) - Cochiti    

Diego Romero was one of the potters around 1990 to break away from more classic shapes and styles of pottery. He returned to a pre-contact style of Mimbres culture (1100's in southwest New Mexico) and was inspired by the open bowl shape. This has been his "canvas" throughout most of his career. The imagery evolves, changes and tells a narrative of his life and interests.  The intricately painted bowl is from 2002 and it is entitled, "Fall from Grace".  The design around the rim is a checkerboard/eternity band design which draws the eye to the central image.  Here, and angel is seen with a look of surprise on his face. Is the Fall a sound, a moment, the 'wrinkle' in the cosmos behind the figure? This imagery and name evoke much with the thoughts of what precipitates and creates such a fall and how close is everyone to such an occurrence? The bowl is in perfect condition and a creative use of his stylistic imagery and form.  Diego studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, before subsequently attaining degrees from Otis College of Art and Design (BFA) and UCLA (MFA).  He has won numerous awards for his pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market and his pieces can be found in museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cartier Foundation, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Denver Art Museum, the Heard Museum, the British Museum, and the Scottish National Museum.   He is also featured in books such as "Free Spirit", "NDN Art" and "Changing Hands".

12.25" diameter x 6" deep

$7500.00

Felipa Herrera Trujillo (1905-2001) - Cochiti    NEW

Felipa Trujillo was a daughter of Estefanita Herrrara and a sister of Candelaria Herrera, an aunt (by marriage) of Helen Cordero and of Ada Suina.  She learned to make pottery from her mother Estefanita and only began signing her own pottery after her mother passed away in 1960.  This large bowl is from the mid 1960's and has a lizard in relief on each side.  Underneath each of the lizards is a very tightly painted raincloud.  The lizards are separated by a classic Cochiti style rain cloud pattern.  The bowl has been traditionally fired which created the color variations. The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  There is some spalling on one side of the bowl.  It is definitely a classic piece from the era of folk art pottery.

8"w x 6.75"h

$450.00

Unsigned - Cochiti    NEW

These two pieces are from the same collection and were originally acquired in the 1960's. They are both from Cochiti pueblo but neither is signed.  They are both in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  The bowl ont he left is beautifully painted with a four directional ran and cloud pattern on the inside.  The outside of the bowl is also painted with a wind and rain design.  The jar on the left has two lizards in relief and they are separated by tightly painted rain clouds.  There are additional mountain designs around the neck.  They are both charming pieces and wonderful testaments to the charm of Pueblo pottery in its folk art era.

Left:        Open Stew Bowl, circa 1960's            8"w x 4"h        $150.00

Right:     Jar with 2 releif Lizards, c. 1960's      4"w x 3.5"h     $100.00      

      BJ Fragua - Jemez  NEW

BJ Fragua has created her own unique version of Jemez pottery, with a very modern appearance. The pottery is full polished and a single band is carved into the shoulder and painted with natural clay slips. The jar on the left has a wide shoulder and the design is a rain and mountain pattern which encircles the bowl. The jar on the right has an elongated neck and a highly polished red clay surface.  The design in the carved section is a rain and mountain pattern.  BJ is a daughter of Juanita Fragua and the sister of Glendora Fragua and sculptor Cliff Fragua.  She has won numerous awards for her pottery and has been featured in a variety of books on contemporary innovative potters.

Left:        Wide Shoulder Jar with Ribbon Pattern        7"w x 5"h        $400.00 -  SOLD

Right:     Vase with Ribbon Pattern                                 5"w x 5"h        $300.00

Glendora Fragua - Jemez  NEW

Glendora Fragua has created a stunning style of intricately incised Jemez pottery.  Using natural clay slips her work captures the variances between matte and polished surfaces.  The wide shoulder jar on the left is fully designed with half red clay slip and half tan.  The red area has a lizards as the central design, surrounded by animal track and plant patterns.  On the opposite side is a flower design which encircles the jar.  Nearly the entire surface of the jar is fully designed!  The lid is fully polished and fits perfectly and there are small inset pieces of coral in the matte area around the mouth of the jar.  The jar on the right has a central incised polychrome turtle medallion with an inset piece of coral.  There are two sunface medallions, each also inset with coral and painted with native clay slips.  The side opposite the turtle has incised cloud designs and three inset pieces of jet.  The remainder of the jar is intricately incised with various cloud, rain and geometric patterns.  It is her attention to the little details which makes her work so visually striking.  Glendora is a daughter of Juanita Fragua and the sister of BJ Fragua and sculptor Cliff Fragua.  She has won numerous awards for her pottery and has been featured in a variety of books on contemporary innovative potters.

Left:        Wide Shoulder Jar with Lizard and Lid        5.5"w x 4"h (w/lid)           $1200.00
Right:     Jar with Turtle and sunfaces and Lid             4"w x 6.5"h (w/lid)           $1200.00 

        Juanita Fragua - Jemez  NEW

Juanita Frauga is the matriarch of a family of renowned artists including daughters BJ Fragua, Glendora Fragua and sculptor Cliff Fragua.  Her pottery combines classic shapes with a highly polished surface allowing the form, color and polish to all create simple but elegant vessels.  The jar on the left has a scalloped rim and the entire piece is fully polished tan. The rim is painted with a brown clay slip.  The jar in the center is a melon jar and it is fully polished tan.  The melon ribs are low and round in contrast to the elongated neck.  The bowl on the right is a larger piece of her pottery and it has a kiva step pattern carved on the rim.  The rim is painted with a brown clay slip and there is also a single brown arrow painted on the inside of the one of the steps. Juanita has won numerous awards for her pottery and has been featured in a variety of books on contemporary innovative potters.

Left:        Jar with Scalloped Rim                7"w x 6.75"h            $450.00

Center:   Jar with Melon Ribs                     6"w x 5.75"h            $350.00

Right:     Kiva Bowl                                       9"w x 7.25"h            $675.00

Dominique Toya - Jemez     

Dominque Toya is one of the leading Jemez potters working today.  She learned to make pottery from her mother Maxine Toya and is a niece of Laura Gachupin and a granddaughter of Marie G. Romero. Dominque has created her distinctive style of pottery using native clay and micaceous clay slips for the surface.  This stunning jar is one of her most distinctive shapes with the four "directions" mouth.  This jar is carved with 25 ribs which encircle the jar in a swirl from the rim to the base.  Note as well how the ribs start small, get larger and then smaller near the base.  However, it is the sharp edge to each rib which is so amazing!  Holding this jar in one's hands, there is an amazing tactile sensation from the sharp ridges!  Dominique has won numerous awards for her pottery, including "Best of Pottery" at the Heard Indian Market.  Her pieces can also be found in museums throughout the country, including the Eiteljorg, the Heard Museum and the Denver Art Museum.

5"w x 7"h

$1800.00   

   Maxine Toya (b. 1948) - Jemez     

Maxine Toya  is part of an amazing family of Jemez potters.  Her grandmother was Persingula Gachupin, her mother is Marie Romero, she is the sister of Laura Gachupin and the mother of Dominique Toya.  She began making pottery in 1971 and has focused on both pottery and education throughout her career. Her pottery is much sculptural than many of the other potters at Jemez who make figurative work which has a more folk art appearance. This is one of her smaller figures which is a koshari clown.  The way she places the hands, tilts the head and the face give a wonderful sense of animation.  Overall her work is carefully constructed and beautifully painted!  She has won numerous awards over the years and her work can be found in museums such as the Albuquerque Museum.   

3.5" long x 3"h       

$125.00 - SOLD

Kathleen Wall - Jemez     

Kathleen Wall is one of the leading potters working today at Jemez Pueblo. She is renown for her whimsical koshari clown figures.  This is a very large piece of her work.  It is a standing koshari holding two smaller kosharis.  They are three separate pieces and the two smaller ones are held in place with pegs underneath them.  Note her amazing ability to coil construct such large figure with such a sense of motion!  In the third image above it is possible to see the faces of all three figures.  This is where Kathleen excels, as she is able to give each a personality through her skills with the clay and sculpting!  The body is painted with natural clay slips and there are additional corn husks added to the pieces.  Kathleen has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market, the Heard Indian Market and other events.  She continues to be one of the young Pueblo innovators in clay.

16"w x 14" deep x 28"h (3 pieces)

$2500.00

Maricopa __________

   Ida Redbird (1892-1971) - Maricopa    

This is an amazing jar by one of the most famous Maricopa potters.  Ida was instrumental in the revival of Maricopa pottery from 1937-40.  She was featured in Arizona Highways in 1948.   She taught numerous others to make pottery.   Her pottery is made using an paddle-and-anvil technique and they are twice fired.  The black designs are derived from a mixture of mesquite sap and cactus spines.  While she did the classic redware, it is not often that we see her two-colored vessels. This jar is a wonderful shape with a very round body and short neck.  The design is a water pattern which gracefully flows across the top of the jar.  The visual contrast of the red and tan areas is perfect!  The bowl is signed on the bottom, "Ida Redbird".  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  This is definitely an outstanding and very unusual piece by his renown potter!

7"w x 5.5"h

$1100.00 - SOLD

Nambe Pueblo __________

Lonnie Vigil - Nambe  

Lonnie Vigil is a name synonymous with micaceous pottery.  During his time at the School of American Research he refined his technique of making and firing micaceous pottery.  This jar is an elegant example of his simplicity of form. The bowl is thin walled and has a nearly classic shape with the wide shoulder and the asymmetrical neck. The surface is slipped with a micaceous clay (in addition to it being made from a micaceous clay) and then traditionally fired.  It is not just the form but the surface which is so stunning on his pottery.  The fire clouds are beautiful and varied in coloration on the surface, seeming to hit at just the right spots to accent the shape.  Lonnie has won "Best of Show" at Santa Fe Indian Market for his large vessels and is among the most sought after of the traditionalist pueblo potters.

8"w x 7.5"h

$2500.00

Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan) Pueblo  __________

Myrtle Cata - Ohkay Owingeh/San Felipe   

Myrtle Cata was born at San Felipe Pueblo and when she married moved to Ohkay Owingeh.  She learned to make pottery from noted Santa Clara potter Tina Garcia.  Myrtle has been making pottery since 1985 and works primarily in micaceous clay.  Her work is beautifully constructed with classic shapes.  This larger jar has wide melon ribs which are pushed  out in the clay.  The shape is wonderful with the wide shoulder and short neck.  The surface is beautifully finished as she uses several layers of micaceous clay slip to create an even coloration.  Myrtle has been featured in numerous books and is one of the few San Juan style potters working today.

9"w x 6.5"h                   

$300.00  - SOLD

Rosita Cata (b. 1950)  - Ohkay Owingeh                                  

Rosita Cata is known for her use of classic incised pottery which she began making in 1970.  Her pottery style with the incised lines was a revival form begun in the 1930's when there was an excavation at the pre-historic Potsuwi'i pueblo.  Her pottery is coil built and native fired. This bowl is polished on the rim and base and the central area is incised with a triangular mountain design.  The incised area in the center is matte but highlighted with a micaceous clay slip.  While simple, this bowl captures the essence of the early revival pottery at San Juan.

4.5"w x 3.5"h                

$100.00

   Alvin Curran (1953-2000) - Ohkay Owingeh    NEW

Alvin Curran was possibly the most refined and sophisticated San Juan style potter of his generation. He was married to Dolores Curran and his daughter is Ursula Curran, both of whom continue to make pottery.  Alvin took the traditional style of incised San Juan polychrome pottery and refined his carving and painted designs.  Each piece is fully carved and then additional red and white clay slips are added to create the color.  Amazingly, each year at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market, he would enter his pottery in the "carved" categories and win against much more deeply carved and fully polished traditional Santa Clara pottery.  It was a reflection of the precision of his work. This piece is a beautifully carved bowl with a triangular cloud pattern extending down from the rim and a triangular mountain pattern extending up from the base.  The cloud pattern is highlighted with a red clay slip while the mountain design is in white.  The rim and the base are both fully polished and typical of his pottery it is thin walled and perfectly constructed.  The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair and it is from the mid-1990's.  Dolores Curran has continued in the style of her husband with her innovative black style of San Juan inspired pottery and the final image above is photo of Alvin's bowl on the left and a jar by Dolores.

6.5"w x 3.75"h                     

$1400.00     

Rosita de Herrera (b. 1940) - Ohkay Owingeh                                  

Rosita de Herrera is a daughter of noted Okay Owingeh potter Tomasita Montoya and a sister of noted potter Dominguita Naranjo.  Rosita combines the two distinctive styles of modern San Juan pottery in her work.  In this bowl there is a band of Potsuwi'i incised designs around the neck and the base. Around the middle of the bowl it is deeply carved with complicated patterns which are highlighted with white and red clay slips.  The two different style were part of the innovation of her mother and 7 other potters beginning in the 1930's.  This bowl is a beautiful piece of her complicated pottery style.

6.25"w x 4"h

$150.00

Dominguita Sisneros Naranjo (b. 1942) - Ohkay Owingeh                                  

Dominguita Naranjo is a daughter of noted Okay Owingeh potter Tomasita Montoya and a sister of Rosita de Herrera. She is known for her use of deeply carved designs and classic pueblo imagery.  This jar is deeply carved with a cloud pattern around the neck and a mountain design around the shoulder.  The neck and base are both fully polished red.  Note the dept of the carving and how clean she keeps the lines of her work.  This jar has a classic shape and striking use of color and design.

5.5"w x 5"h

$100.00

Tom & Sue Tapia  - Ohkay Owingeh

Tom Tapia is one of the most renown potters from San Juan Pueblo, creating a very intricate style of incised pottery.  This tall jar is beautifully carved into eight melon rib sections, each fully incised with designs.  The area behind around the sgraffito designs are highlighted with a pinkish-red clay slip.  Around the neck is an incised avanyu.  Each of the alternating melon rib sections has a flowers with butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.  The sections between have various katchinas, including a Broadface, Tewa Drummer, Ogre and Morning Katchina.  Above each of the katchinas is a Tewa style sunface, each with a different tablita.  It is simply stunning how intricate the design work is on this pottery and that Tom has been making such complex works for over twenty years.

4.75"w x 6.25"h

$800.00       

Osage __________

      Anita Fields (b. 1951) - Osage      

Anita Fields is fascinating potter who works with non-traditional clay to create abstracted images of traditional clothing and artifacts along with imagery intended to honor all women, particularly those of Indian descent.  Anita was influenced by traditional Osage ribbon work, clothing, and blankets. She also studied the objects and ceremonial dress of other tribes. The personal and emotional elements in these textile designs led Anita to use them symbolically in clay, translating the personality of these vestments into her work. About one of her recent series, Native American Dresses, which are coil-and slab-built installations, Anita says: "The dresses convey my attitudes toward the strength of women and how native peoples show remarkable resourcefulness and adaptability toward their environment. The clothing Indian women created shows great pride, dignity, and hope in a culture facing insurmountable odds."  Over the years Anita has spent a good part of her life traveling and collecting seemingly insignificant items.  From these items, these memories, she creates original stamps.  Anita then utilizes these stamps in the creation of complex collages on the slip of her ceramic works.  In essence, Anita is creating personal histories, documenting the landscape of her life.  The larger figure on the left has a large face of the “moon mother” looking down in her dress of “stars”.  The designs are all impressionistic animals and plants which encircle the entire piece.  It is a beautiful complement of slips, texture and design.  The figure on the right is one of her grandmother figures.  Note how the dress is made up of the various stamps she has made over the years to make the design. The lower part of the dress with the dots is reminiscent of the classic elk tooth dresses of the Osage women. The “earrings” are her children and grandchildren she is dreaming of yet to come.  Anita has won numerous awards for her pottery and her work can be found in the permanent collection of museums such as The Heard Museum, the Denver Art Museum and others.  She was featured in the book, “Pottery by American Indian Women”.  Most recently she won “Best of Pottery” at the 2012 Heard Indian Market.

Left:                Tall “Moon Mother” Figure                      7.5”w x 22”h             $2500.00 - SOLD

Right:             Grandmother Figure                                   4”w x 19”h                $1800.00

Picuris Pueblo __________

    Ramita Simbola Martinez (1884-1969) - Picuris   NEW

Ramita Martinez was one of the three pivotal potters (also Virginia Duran and Cora Duran) working to preserve and revive Picuris pottery in the 20th century.  Her pottery was thin walled and the micaceous clay of the area allowed the pieces to be used for utilitarian purposes. This jar with handles is from the 1960's and has an impressed design encircling the neck of the piece.  The jar was traditionally fired and has blushes and fire clouds from the firing.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  The sign at the end of the images above is a Historic Marker in New Mexico which reads, "Maria Ramita Simbola Martinez, Cora Durand, and Virginia Duran helped to preserve the distinctive micaceous pottery tradition that is important in Picuris and other nearby pueblos. Made with locally mined mica-rich clay, these unusual pots have a glittery sheen. They are fired at low temperatures which makes them ideal for cooking. While valued for their utility, these pots are also now considered considered works of art."  She certainly left an historic impact through her work with the clay!

7"w x 5.25"h

$200.00  - SOLD    

Pojoaque Pueblo __________

  Hubert Candelario (b. 1965) - San Felipe  

Hubert Candelario is one of the few active potters from San Felipe pueblo. He began making pottery in 1990 using a traditional micaceous clay. Each piece is coil built and then designs are carved into the clay.  This bowl is one of his classic "Holey pots", with a variety of circular holes cut through the clay resulting in a lace-like appearance.  The surface is then slipped at least three times with a micaceous clays slip before it is fired.  In the images above, the first is looking at the bowl from the side, the second from the top and the third up close.  Note that even the inside of the piece is micaceous slipped!  Hubert says he puts several coats of slip onto the surface so that it has an even "sparkle" to the mica! Hubert has won numerous awards for his pottery and his work can be found in museums nationwide. 

4.5"w x 5"h

$2200.00 - SOLD

Arthur (1948-1998) and Hilda (1949-2007) Coriz- Santo Domingo  

Arthur and Hilda Coriz were exceptional in their creation of distinctive Santo Domingo pottery.  Hilda would make the pieces and Arthur would paint the designs.  This jar is a wonderful shape with a wide shoulder and a sloping rim.  The area below the shoulder has a classic Santo Domingo star pattern.  Above the shoulder there are various birds used as the design.  Hilda was a sister of noted potter Robert Tenorio and their daughter Ione Coriz continues to make pottery.  This jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks restoration or repair. Arthur and Hilda won numerous awards for their pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and it is always wonderful to see their creative pieces!

10.5"w x 9"h

$900.00 - SOLD

    Rose Pacheco (b.1968) - Santo Domingo  

Rose is a daughter of noted potters Gilbert and Paulita Pacheco and a niece of Robert Tenorio.  She has been creating traditional style Santo Domingo vessels.  These bowls are small in size but wonderfully painted and unusual with the use of the black "wild spinach" for the background. The designs are painted with the red clay slip. The bowl on the left has a butterfly and flower while the while bowl on the right has dragonflies.  Her painting is based on traditional imagery but has a very whimsical appearance.

Left:            Open Bowl with Butterfly            3.5"w x 1.5"h                    $20.00 - SOLD

Right:         Open Bowl with Dragonflies       3.5"w x 1.5"h                    $20.00 - SOLD

   Robert Tenorio - Santo Domingo  

Robert Tenorio is one of the most famous Santo Domingo potters working today.  He learned to make pottery from his grandmother Andrea Ortiz and Lupe Tenorio his great-aunt.  He also studied under Otellie Loloma when he went to school at IAIA.  He creates classic Santo Domingo forms along with some his own stylistic patterns and shapes.  On the left is a classic style Santo Domingo jar with a red neck and black panels.  This style of jar was often created in the late 1800's.  Each of the panels is plain except for one with the "little dipper" star constellation.  This is the same imagery with which he typically signs his name on the bottom of the vessel.  On the right is a very unusual double canteen.  The two canteens are joined together and there is also a clay handle making it all one piece.  It is always amazing that such technically difficult pieces survive the firing!  The design on the outside is a series of painted male and female deer.  Robert has won numerous awards for his pottery and is certainly one of the most influential Santo Domingo potters working today!

Left:            Jar with Small Dipper Pattern         10.5"w x 9.75"h                 $600.00  - SOLD

Right:         Double Canteen                                11"long x 7"h                     $600.00 - SOLD

Jamie Zane Smith - Wyandot   NEW

This unique bowl is one of Jamie's "Bark Stamp" series where he has tried to capture the look of burl wood in his clay.  The bowl is coil built and note on the inside the thin coils used to create the bowl.  The inside coils are painted and there is an appliqué swirl pattern in the center of the bowl. Jamie says of the piece, "Imagine if you cut a burl off of a tree one would suspect to find a hollow spot with random wood grain patterns. In fact the wood grains are in perfect order. To illustrate this I have super-imposed organically formed representation of ancient expression in the inside. It represents the intelligence of plant life."  The inside shoulder of the bowl has been polished to have the appearance of leather.  There is a wonderful optical illusion created inside the bowl where the red touches the green and blue coils and it almost looks like the leather is raised of folded up under the coils! However, it is the outside which is truly remarkable!  He has carved a wood stamp which he used to create the pattern on the outside of the bowl.  This is achieved as Jamie carves a paddle out of wood and then uses it to push the designs into the clay.  It sounds simple, but each time he pushes into the still moist clay with the paddle it can change the shape of the vessel!  The technique requires that keep the jar symmetric while impressing the design and also creating an sense of realism to the design.  Not only does this bowl have the look of burl wood, but holding the bowl, the surface amazingly also has the texture and feel of burl wood!  He has used various clays and shading to intensify the effect.  Jamie also carved a piece of burl wood as a base for the bowl.  Jamie is a nephew of Richard Zane Smith, who has taught him his delicate style of coil building pottery.  He was recently featured in Native People's Magazine as one of Four Emerging potters to watch. 

9"w x 4.25"h

$1800.00

Jamie Zane Smith - Wyandot   

Jamie is able to capture a striking balance of historic shape and form with a very distinctive style to his pottery.  The shape of this jar is inspired by the Iroquois cooking vessels.  The neck is polished and textured to give it the appearance of leather!  The surface is perfectly polished and even the inside of the neck of the jar is polished at a swirl!  Very subtle but very evident when looking inside the piece and a reflection of the care and time Jamie puts into each piece.   The remainder of the jar has a textured appearance with a series of swirls in the design.  This is achieved as Jamie carves a paddle out of wood and then uses it to push the designs into the clay.  It sounds simple, but each time he pushes into the still moist clay with the paddle it can change the shape of the vessel!  The technique requires that keep the jar symmetric while impressing the design and also creating an flow of pattern around the entire piece!  Note as well now the design on the body of the jar is complemented by the swirl of the design extending down from the neck!  The jar is amazing thin walled and very light weight.   Jamie is a nephew of Richard Zane Smith, who has taught him his delicate style of coil building pottery.  He was recently featured in Native People's Magazine as one of Four Emerging potters to watch. 

11"w x 12.75"h

$3000.00

Jamie Zane Smith - Wyandot    

Exquisite!  This large bowl is magnificent piece from one of the young innovative artists in in the world of contemporary Native pottery.  It combines a stunning form with very complicated surface designs!  The jar is coil built and the overlapping of the coils creates the general texture of the piece. Starting from a narrow base it extends upwards to a wide shoulder and then dips downward to the tiny opening!  The fourth image above reveals the unbelievable symmetry on this large vessel.  Jamie has titled the piece "Natural Revelation" and the shape of the piece and the distinctive clay work if further enhanced by the impressed designs in the surface.  Jamie carves blocks of wood to create a stamp which he uses to push into the clay surface when it is still leather hard.  This can alter the shape as it is pushed into the clay so it is difficult to keep such an even depth in the design.  Jamie has a wonderfully even surface of design throughout.  The coloration is added at the end to enhance the designs in the clay.  In addition to the clay work, Jamie also made stand which is from a piece of Arborvitae wood.  The wood is highly polished and notched to create a space for the bowl to sit.  The wood and clay combine in this piece to make a dramatic overall appearance.  Jamie is a nephew of Richard Zane Smith, who has taught him his delicate style of coil building pottery.  Jamie is quickly finding a very distinctive style for his pottery and each piece seems to grow on the innovation of the last.  He was recently featured in Native People's Magazine as one of Four Emerging potters to watch. 

18"w x 8.5"h

$4800.00 - SOLD

Richard Zane Smith - Wyandot   

This unusual large jar from Richard Zane Smith.  His unique style of pottery has revived and re-fashioned the pre-historic concept of corrugated pottery.  The earliest corrugated pieces were often baskets which had clay applied to them and then fired, creating a "corrugated" appearance.  Richard has created his own style, using small coils which are left exposed.  This jar is from 1994 and at a distances it seems to be a swirl of color and rounded shapes.  However, click on any one of the images above and it will become apparent that the jar is actually an op-art connected design of faces!  The jar is entitled on the bottom, "In his Image he created them" and there are numerous faces, each incised into the clay and colored and connected to each of the surrounding images.  There is a simple elegance to this design and simplicity to the pattern which becomes more distinct at various distances.  Richard is masterful at creating such optical illusion imagery in his pottery.  This jar is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Richard's work can be found in museums nationwide and has been featured in numerous exhibits, including the Heard Museum's exhibit, "Breaking the Surface".  Richard's work has been featured in numerous books and magazine articles, including "The Art of Clay".  He continues to work to breathe life into recreating his interpretations of prehistoric Wyandot pottery.

18"w x 15"h

$8800.00

    Richard Zane Smith - Wyandot   

Stunning!  It is always exciting to see and hold one of Richard's large vessels.  They are each coil built and they are surprisingly thin walled. The coils can be seen in the second image above, as they are nearly as thin as a piece of string!  After the vessel is built he then incises the designs into the clay and then adds the additional colorations.  This jar has one of his "op-art" style design with a rug inspired motif which encircles the jar.  Note the use of such angular designs in contrast to the rounds shape of the jar.  There is a simple elegance to this design and simplicity to the pattern which becomes more distinct at various distances.  Richard is masterful at creating such optical illusion imagery in his pottery.  This jar is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.   It is often difficult to imagine the size of such a large piece so the final image above show several of Richard's pieces here in the gallery.   Richard's work can be found in museums nationwide and has been featured in numerous exhibits, including the Heard Museum's exhibit, "Breaking the Surface".  Richard's work has been featured in numerous books and magazine articles, including "The Art of Clay".  He continues to work to breathe life into recreating his interpretations of prehistoric Wyandot pottery.

19"w x 21"h

$10,800.00 - SOLD

Candelaria Gachupin (1908-1997) - Zia  NEW

Candelaria Gachupin was a granddaughter of noted potter Rosalea Toribio and the daughter of Maria Bridgett.  She taught both her daughter Dora Tse-Pe and son-in-law Ralph Aragon to make pottery.  It is not often that we come across her work and these three pieces are all from the 1960's.  Each certainly reflects her skill as a painter!  The photo above of her is from Santa Fe Indian Market in the 1960's. The plate on the left has a bird as the central design.  It has a bit of grayish color variation from the traditional firing. The jar in the center is unusual as it is made from the red clay.  It has birds on each side and they are separated by cloud and rain designs.  The base of the jar is stone polished as opposed to the matte surface on the body of the piece.  The plate on the right has a bird and there are two plants on either side.  All three pieces are in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Both plates have color variations from the firing and some wear to the black painted areas.  Candelaria's pottery can be found in numerous museums throughout the southwest and it is exciting to have some small but exceptional pieces of her work in the gallery!

Left:        Plate with Bird            4.25" diameter        $100.00

Center:   Jar with Birds             3.25"w x 3"h             $150.00 -  SOLD

Right:     Plate w/ Bird/Plant    4.5" diameter           $125.00 -  SOLD

   Helen Gachupin (1931-1991) - Zia  

Helen Gachupin was known for her elegant and unique shapes along with her very tightly painted designs.  This jar has a low shoulder and an elongated neck.  There are very tightly painted birds on each side and there is a step cloud pattern separating the birds which has been stone polished. Around the shoulder is a rectangular rain and cloud pattern and the base of the jar is also stone polished red.  The jar is from the 1960's and it is in very good condition with no chips, cracks restoration or repair. The photo above is one of Helen holding one of her jars which is a similar shape to this piece, but with a longer neck.

8"w x 10"h      

$450.00 - SOLD

Ruth Jones (d.)  - Zia  

This is a large and beautifully painted jar from Zia. It is from the 1960's and has a classic shape with the high shoulder.  The design is three very distinctive birds which are slipped red and stone polished.  They are separated by a plant design which is also stone polished.  The rim of the jar has a rain and cloud pattern. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

9.25"w x 8.5"h       

$300.00 - SOLD

Elizabeth Medina is known for traditional style of Zia pottery.  The pieces are all coil built, painted with native clays and native fired.  Here are two pieces of her pottery reflecting the variety of her work and the traditions of Zia pueblo. The jar on the left has birds on each side of the jar.  The birds are polished red and they are surrounded by plant designs.  The fineline painting around the birds and on the opposite sides represent rain.  The tan areas are also polished and the tan band between the two bird medallions is a rainbow band.  The lid has a bird on the top and it is also polished.  The jar on the right is one of the few we have seen by Elizabeth with such old style Zia designs.  The jar has four sections with alternating square and oval medallions.  The oval designs are flower motifs while the square (diamond) shaped ones are polished red to represent the earth, with plant designs sprouting at the top and bottom.  There are lots of very tightly painted fine line patterns and a beautiful flow of imagery around the jar!  The lid has a turtle with a bird painted on the top.  Both pieces are signed on the side "Elizabeth Medina, Zia".  Elizabeth is the wife of Marcellus Medina and learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law, Sophia Medina.  She has won numerous awards for her pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market and her work can be found in museums nationwide.

Left:            Jar with Birds and Turtle Lid                    6.5"w x 8"h            $425.00 - SOLD

Right:         Jar with Old Style Geometrics & Lid       7.5"w x 10"h          $525.00

Sophia Medina (1932-2003) - Zia  

Sophia Medina was renown for her traditional style Zia pottery as well as creating very large ollas. She was a daughter of Juanita Pino, the wife of Rafael Medina and the mother of Marcellus Medina, Samuel Medina and Lois Medina.  She learned to make pottery from Rafael's grandmother, Trinidad Medina.  Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays and native fired.  This classic jar has the rainbow design (the polished red arch) on two sections of the piece.  Below the rainbow is a roadrunner and plant designs.  Separating the two rainbow designs is a band with a roadrunner and rain patterns.  The bowl is a piece of her pottery from the 1970's and it is wonderfully complex in design.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There are some areas of very light spalling throughout.  Sophia won numerous awards for her pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market and her work can be found in museums nationwide such as the Peabody Essex, SAR and the Heard Museum.

9"w x 8.5"h       

$450.00 - SOLD

Alvin Pino - Zia   

This is a charming bowl by Alvin Pino.  It is made with traditional clay slips and native fired. The design is whimsical with a roadrunner on each side, climbing stairs.  Why whimsical? Take a look at one of the images larger, and the way he has painted the birds and their bodies they look like they really are trying to climb a staircase!  There is wonderful additional detail in the use of the cloud pattern for the different steps.

4.5"w x 3"h

$150.00

Anderson Peynetsa - Zuni    

Anderson Peynetsa is known for the use of classic Zuni imagery in his pottery.  This piece is a classic water jar shape and it is made with the red clay found at Zuni. The design is a series of eight heartline deer which encircle the piece.  Anderson has taken this classic imagery which appears on much of the early Zuni pottery and stylized it to look more distinctive in form with the elongated neck and legs in motion.  The visual result is striking with the resulting motion in the deign above and below the shoulder.  This jar is from 2001 and it is in perfect condition.  Anderson has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market, Gallup Ceremonials and other events.

6.5"w x 6"h                            

$400.00 - SOLD

Noreen Simplicio - Zuni    

Noreen Simplicio began making pottery in 1977 at Zuni High School under the instruction of Jennie Laate.  After high school she was further mentored by Angelina Medina (Acoma).  Noreen has created a stunning and intricate style of Zuni pottery.  The seedpot on the left is based on the classic Zuni "rosette" seen on the historic pottery, often with a deer design.  This rosette she has sculpted the clay so that the petals are raised!  The jar in the center has four lizards on the shoulder in relief.   The legs of each one are raised from the surface of the vessel.  The neck of the jar is carved and painted with a raincloud design.  The seedpot on the right is the style for which Noreen is the most famous.  This seedpot has a pueblo village carved into the clay on the top.  The additional figures and pottery are all added and the little wooden vigas on the fronts of buildings are also added!  This piece has a ladder which extends down into the seedpot and also has clay figures sitting on it!  The remainder of the piece is beautifully painted with three medallions of heartline deer. The designs separating the deer are rain patterns.  Noreen has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Indian Market.  

Left:             Zuni Rosette Seedpot                                              4"w x 2.25"h                              $200.00

Center:        Jar with Lizards in Relief                                        6"w x 7"h                                    $350.00 - SOLD

Right:         Seedpot with Pueblo Design and Zuni Deer      5"w x 5.5"h                                 $500.00