Carmelita was the daughter of Juanita Vigil and Romando Vigil. Carmelita’s mother passed away when Carmelita was only 8 years old. Her mother’s sisters, Maria Martinez and Desideria, raised her. Carmelita would stay with Maria for three months or so then stay with Desideria three months or so. She learned pottery making from watching the two distinguished potters at work.

Carmelita was one of the pueblo potters invited to visit the White House in 1974 at the request of President and Mrs. Nixon.

Carmelita always preferred making large pieces of pottery. This one, however, is the largest I have ever seen. She decorated it in the traditional black-on-black technique but added an element to the design that I have never known a San Ildefonso potter to do—that is impressing bear paws into the clay as is done at Santa Clara Pueblo. I think this is truly a unique pottery jar by a unique potter.

COMMENTS: Some experts have contended that smothering pottery during the firing process creates a carbon smoke that penetrates the pottery, turning it black. Even though several books describing black pueblo pottery attribute the color change to carbon, the reduction of iron oxide is the correct mechanism. Ceramicists, describing ancient styles of Old World pottery, state that iron impurities in clay form red oxide at red heat, but if air is lacking during firing, iron impurities in clay form black magnetite.

Provenance:This Large Black-on-black Bear Paw Jar was part of the exhibit Art Treasures of New Mexico show July 23, 2005 until August 20, 2005 presented at adobe gallery Santa fe.