Tse-Pé is the son of Rose Gonzales, the potter given credit for introducing carved pottery at San Ildefonso Pueblo. Rose was originally from Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo where carved pottery was traditional. Tse-Pé at first followed in his mom’s footsteps and produced carved pottery. He then expanded his horizons and began to experiment with various techniques—including introducing sienna to his black pottery.

In this small jar, Tse- Pé cut into the normally circular rim to produce a dip and then he outlined the entire rim with sienna coloration. There have been several explanations for how potters achieve the sienna but those who do so seem to keep the process a secret. The process involves re-oxidizing the reduction firing that produced the black coloration. How the re-oxidizing is accomplished is the secret kept by potters. It has been rumored that using a blow torch to achieve the re-oxidization is one technique, but I have not had a single potter confirm this.

Tse- Pé produced a Kokopelli flute player in a sgraffito technique on this jar. He gave him a coral eye and tinted the flute with blue and his rain sash with white. There is no other decoration on the jar.

The signature on the underside is that very angular version of TP used by the artist. The item is not dated but is from the 1980s decade most probably. It still is in very good condition. There is no damage to the jar.

Provenance: Estate of Evelyn and Herbert Weinstein, Santa Fe.

Reference and Recommended Reading: Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery (click here to view details of book) by Rick Dillingham. (Available from Adobe Gallery)