Two sisters at Santo Domingo Pueblo developed a style of decorating pottery that used large areas of black, outlined with thin lines of cream slip, and another style that used large areas of black and red, outlined too with thin lines of cream slip. The sisters are known as the Aguilars and, of course, their pottery as the Aguilar style. Following their retirements or deaths around 1915, their style of pottery was confined to the shelves of Julius Seligman, the Bernalillo trader. No one else seemed to pursue it.

Sometime, probably in the mid 20^th century, Santana Melchor, also of Santo Domingo, revived, on a small scale, the Aguilar pottery style. There is an example of one of her pieces on display at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe. Sometime in the 1980s, Robert Tenorio experimented with the style, too. This jar is an example of one of his masterpieces.

Robert is indisputably one of the finest potters of the 20^th century from Santo Domingo Pueblo. He has never stopped experimenting, learning, and trying. He has tried numerous plants as a source for the black paint, and he has tried numerous clays for the cream slip. Some work, some don’t, but he never tires of trying.

Robert has been a student of pueblo pottery for a number of years, studying professionally at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and on his own. He has studied styles, clays, slips, designs and forms. He has mastered the techniques of producing functional, usable pottery for his own use and the use of other members of the pueblo.

Condition: This is a remarkable olla in excellent condition.

Provenance: From the estate of Transcendental artist Florence Pierce of Albuquerque who passed away in 2007 at the age of 89.

Recommended Reading: AGUILAR: Felipita and Asuncion—Santo Domingo Pueblo, circa 1910-1915. August 15, 2003 Special Exhibit Catalog (click here to view details of book) by Adobe Gallery. (Limited copies Available from Adobe Gallery)