Cochiti Pueblo Wall Mounted Font with Deer Head [SOLD]

Louis (1932-1997) and Virginia Naranjo (b.1932) were standard bearers for the proud figurative pottery tradition of Cochiti Pueblo. They crafted their figurines at the kitchen table in their comfortable adobe home at the pueblo. They worked almost every day crafting their art with great care, joking and exchanging the gossip of the day as they went along, accompanied by television, children and grandchildren. Their art provided a good life for them and it provided a legacy that will be with us for another century or more.

Louis was very creative in making items that differed from what other potters were making at the time.  He and Virginia made large figurines of male and female tourists in bikinis, sunglasses, and with a camera hanging around their neck.  He also dreamed up the black bear storyteller figurine as well as the Santa Claus figurine.  Together they made mermaids and animals.

It was probably Louis who thought of making this wall hanging fixture with a deer or antelope head.  It could be used as a holy water container, sacred corn meal container, or just a match holder next to the stove or fireplace.

The item is co-signed by Louis and Virginia Naranjo and dated 1991. 

Condition: good condition

Provenance: from a Santa Fe resident

Recommended Reading: There is an excellent article on Louis and Virginia Naranjo in Indians of New Mexico, edited by Richard C. Sandoval and Ree Sheck. Published by New Mexico Magazine, Santa Fe, 1990. ISBN 0-937206-16-4. It may be available from the publisher.