Monica Silva is recognized as one of the best of the early 20th century potters at Santo Domingo Pueblo. She was active in the 1920s to 1940s. Her dough bowls have a very distinctive shape. They have high shoulders that roll inward about an inch and end in a short neck. Her designs are very bold and executed in strong black guaco paint.

This dough bowl is typical of her work, but it is as large as any I have ever seen. The rim is black and the color extends down to the end of the short neck. The design area is divided into 8 squares separated from each other by parallel black lines. Within each square is a star design comprised of arranged triangles. A double framing line separates the cream-slipped designed area from the red-slipped underbody. A ceremonial break occurs from the rim to the red underbody. The interior is slipped in red clay that has been stone polished.

The bowl is in very good condition. There is indication on the interior that it was used for its intended purpose before being sold to someone outside the pueblo.

Monica Silva was born and raised at Santa Clara Pueblo and lived there until she married Santiago Lovato of Santo Domingo Pueblo and moved to his pueblo. She taught and popularized black-on-black pottery at Santo Domingo and learned to make traditional Santo Domingo pottery.

Monica Silva (Photograph Source Unknown)

Reference and Recommended Reading: Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700-1940 (click here to view book details) page 105, by Jonathan Batkin. 1987, First Edition. The Taylor Museum of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. This book is very scarce/quite difficult to come by and truly an invaluable resource for the study of Historic Pueblo pottery. Paperback edition $215.00. by Jonathan Batkin. (This Out of Print Book Available from Adobe Gallery on a very limited basis).