Black and Sienna Pictorial Plate by Tony Da [R]

Tony Da, from San Ildefosno Pueblo, was destined to become one of the finest artists of the 20th century. His grandparents, Maria and Julian Martinez, and his father, Popovi Da, were skilled artists. Tony was a painter from early in life, and was winning awards for his paintings. A change occurred when he moved in with his grandmother in 1966. She taught him the techniques of pottery making and he learned very well. Within three years, Maria said he had nothing else to learn from her.

Once Tony started making pottery, his creativity blossomed. He followed all the traditional techniques Maria had taught him, but he matured as an artist in departing from traditional shapes and designs. He was fond of the Mimbres culture and used its designs on much of his work.

Tony's first pottery pieces were bears. Maria commented that he was very good and she could not do anything to make him better, except that he needed to learn to make ollas, which, of course, he did. In 1982, Tony suffered massive head injuries in a motorcycle accident, which left him unable to continue his pottery career.  Fortunately for us, he left a legacy of outstanding art objects.

This black and sienna plate is a truly breathtaking and superlative design, with a Mimbres-style deer boldly placed in the center. It is a masterpiece of design and execution, a piece worthy of the Da name. Coil formed in native San Ildefonso clays, slipped, and stone-polished to a surface of the utmost quality, this plate was then fired in a non-oxidation firing to achieve the lovely deep black coloration. The sienna rim and sgraffito design were achieved after the firing, utilizing the sharpest attention to detail and superb technical ability to create motif and patterning of such intricacy, delicacy, and great beauty.

Condition:  in superb original condition and signed on the underside with his hallmark. It was probably made in the 1970s.

Provenance: from the estate of Michael Frost

Recommended Reading:  The Life and Art of Tony Da by Charles King and Richard Spivey