Koosa Clowns Clowning Around a Pueblo Olla [SOLD]

The Koosa Clowns are truly being clowns in this painting.  One lounging on top of the pottery olla is reading, another one is peeking out from behind the olla, another is lying down snoozing behind the olla and a fourth one is on the left side, but we cannot see what mischief he is up to.

Koosa clowns still appear at the Keres Pueblos (Cochiti Pueblo, Santo Domingo), and were, just in the past few years, reintroduced to San Ildefonso Pueblo by the society at Cochiti. I do not know if they are still in existence at Santa Clara Pueblo or not.  They may or may not have always existed or may have been re-introduced there by Cochiti as well. It is a very secretive society.

Geraldine Gutiérrez (1960 -) is also a potter of traditional Black-on-black pottery and I understand that she paints only infrequently now and devotes most of her time to making pottery.  Geraldine Gutiérrez's mother, Helen Atencio, was from San Ildefonso Pueblo and her father, Frank Gutierrez, from Santa Clara Pueblo. Although she technically belongs to her mother’s pueblo, she makes her residence at Santa Clara and produces blackware pottery as well as paintings.  Geraldine is a niece of Gilbert Atencio of San Ildefonso and he was her mentor. Her painting style is quite like that of Gilbert.

Condition: this painting of Koosa Clowns Clowning Around a Pueblo Olla appears to be in original condition

Provenance: from the estate of a gentleman from New York who amassed a very large collection of Native American paintings.

Recommended Reading: Pueblo Indian Pottery 750 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf