Ruth Leah Bunzel (1898 - 1990)

Subject: Native American Pottery

Item # 0486228754

Date Published: First published in 1929; this edition 1972

Size: Softcover, 134 pages, illustrated with drawing and photographs

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Sam Smith was one of the most accomplished Albuquerque artists during the mid-20th century. He was a friend of Wilson Hurley, who had praised his artistic accomplishments.  He had moved to Albuquerque at the age of 7 years, and was associated with the University of New Mexico art department from 1956 until his retirement as a professor of art in 1984. He had studied with artists Randall Davey, Jack Levine, Ben Turner and Carl Von Hassler. During World War II, he documented combat scenes while on duty in West Africa and in the China-Burma-India Theater. 

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Marie Herrera is the only artisan from Nambe Pueblo credited in the book Nacimientos for making nativity sets at the time the book was published in 1979.  The authors stated "Marie Herrera does different styles but is perhaps best known for her micaceous clay figures on which she uses a minimum of detailing, just a touch to delineate eyes and mouths.  The figures are large and rather primitive, but the faces have great character and, as one expert notes: 'They have a very definite folk art feeling.'"

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Zuni Pueblo artisans are known worldwide as phenomenal lapidary artisans and jewelry makers.  They are masters at cutting stones and fitting those stone-to-stone to form mosaic imagery in jewelry.  This Knifewing pin is an excellent example of the finest lapidary work from Zuni.

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Greg Garcia claims heritage to two Tewa Pueblos of New Mexico-Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh.  His mother was Lydia Tafoya of Santa Clara, daughter of Severa Tafoya.  His father was Santiago Garcia of Ohkay Owingeh.  Greg's sisters are Tina Garcia and Virginia Garcia, both of whom are well-known potters.

Greg was inspired to become a potter by his grandmother, Severa Tafoya, who was the mother of five female potters of distinction.  He started working with the clay when he was only 14 years old.  He was taught to follow all traditional methods of pottery production-gathering and cleaning clay, processing clay and building with coils, stone polishing and outdoor firing.  He faithfully follows those traditions.

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The Zuni Rainbow Man is among the most popular jewelry item for collectors. Representation of specific native religious imagery such as this was frowned upon among most pueblos, but some ceremonially significant figures were conventionalized and used for decorative purposes, probably knowingly so, because of non-Indian interest. Some of these figures had their appearances deliberately altered to avoid offending traditionalists' spiritual sensitivities.

This Rainbow Man pin dates to the 1930s. It consists of blue and green turquoise, jet, mother of pearl, and spiny oyster shell set in stone-to-stone fashion in finely serrated bezels. Such fine bezel work is the work of an exceptionally talented jeweler. Exquisitely detailed silver rope and dots were executed for the feathers at the figure's back.

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This exquisite Zuni Pueblo necklace of coral hieshe and coral fetishes contains 101 fetishes.  There are rams, bears, turtles, foxes, parrots and other birds and one large owl at the bottom.  The strands are graduated in a manner to allow them to display as individual strands not grouped together as a bunch. 

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Josephine Arquero is a daughter of Damacia Cordero and sister to Martha Arquero, Marie Laweka and Gloria Herrera, all of whom are recognized potters.  Josephine specializes in figurative pottery-mostly storytellers, nacimientos, and animals.

This pottery owl figurine is signed with the artist's name but not dated, however, it was purchased in the 1990s from the artist at her booth in Indian Market by the current owners.  The figurine stands solidly unaided but it is provided with a metal stand for more secure display.

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Pablita Velarde (1918-2006) Tse Tsan - Golden Dawn, Santa Clara Pueblo, was well familiar with dance costume details and she was careful to portray dancers with accurate clothing. Her paintings are ethnographically important as well as artistically important. She has provided us with a detailed representation of pueblo dancers of her time. This presentation of a very active Eagle Dancer is no exception. His costume is accurate and the presentation of the dance is as one would see at the pueblo.

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This visually charming turn-of-the-century Hopi-Tewa jar demonstrates in style and technique all the hallmarks of Nampeyo's genius. The shape is derived from the bulbous shouldered saucer-shaped jars common to the prehistoric Sikyatki pottery tradition of the 15th and 16th centuries. Nampeyo favored, as illustrated in this vessel, a conical up-thrusting neck gracefully projecting from the jar's body without seam or flexure.

The design composition is perfectly complementary to the sculptural form of the vessel. The heavy unbroken black encircling upper body band separates the neck of the jar from its mid body. A single framing line just below the wide upper body band sets the parameter for laying out the design. The combination of avian designs and geometric elements points to the aesthetic of the designs of Nampeyo from 1900 through 1910.

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When I was actively purchasing katsina dolls from the Honyouti brothers in the 1980s and 1990s, Brian Honyouti was seriously involved in running a school for the children of his village of Bacavi. He founded the school, was the teacher, and was the principal. He funded the school from funds received from the sale of his carvings.  He was a strong advocate of education. He, himself, had obtained a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona in 1971.

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Snowflake Flower was named Estephanita after her grandmother, Estephanita Herrera, but she is known as Stephanie or Snowflake Flower.  She is a sister to Ada Suina.  She attended the University of New Mexico and received her BS in Education in 1985.  She started making pottery figurines around 1979 and has specialized in storytellers, nacimientos, owls and other figurines.

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Richard Martinez was not one of the San Ildefonso Pueblo youngsters who attended the San Ildefonso Day School during 1900-1907 when the teacher at that time, Esther Hoyt, provided her students with paper and paints and encouraged them to paint subjects with which they were familiar such as ceremonial dancers in the plaza.  Her classes were for students from age 5 to age 12.  Martinez had been born in 1904 so was too young to reap the benefits of the teacher's generosity to her students even though it was against U. S. Government policy to encourage such acts.

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This Colophon print was printed from the original woodblock hand-carved by Gustave Baumann (1881-1971).  None of the prints in Colophon were ever signed in pencil, but this one does include Baumann's initials and his monogram cypher of a hand palm in a heart in the lower left corner.  No other editions of this woodcut were ever issued.

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This sterling silver and turquoise letter opener has the stamp of The Maisel Company of Albuquerque.  The Maisel Company had on-site Navajo and Pueblo jewelers working in the basement level of the store in Albuquerque.  They could be viewed while working because there was a large oval cut out in the floor, through which clients could look down and see the artisans working.

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Greg Garcia claims heritage to two Tewa Pueblos of New Mexico-Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh.  His mother was Lydia Tafoya of Santa Clara, daughter of Severa Tafoya.  His father was Santiago Garcia of Ohkay Owingeh.  Greg's sisters are Tina Garcia and Virginia Garcia, both of whom are well-known potters.

Greg was inspired to become a potter by his grandmother, Severa Tafoya, who was the mother of five female potters of distinction.  He started working with the clay when he was only 14 years old.  He was taught to follow all traditional methods of pottery production-gathering and cleaning clay, processing clay and building with coils, stone polishing and outdoor firing.  He faithfully follows those traditions.

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Travelers to New Mexico who have been to Acoma Pueblo are familiar with the original village atop the mesa known today as Sky City.  It was on top of that mesa in 1898 that Lucy Martin Lewis was born and it was there that she grew up without the benefit of going to school.  It was there also that she was struck by lightning in the 1960s.  There was little hope that she would ever work again, but with perseverance she regained her muscle strength and went on to become one of the most recognized potters at Acoma Pueblo.

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This polished Santa Clara Pueblo black jar with a bear paw design was made by Mela Youngblood and her son Nathan Youngblood and was signed by both artists.  Very few pottery items were made by them together, maybe less than a half-dozen.  This, indeed, is a rare item. 

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The Whirling Log symbol, often referred to as a Swastika, had a long tradition of use among many Native American tribes before the advent of its use by Hitler in the 1930s.  I am unsure if the United States government forbade its continued use or if the Native tribes discontinued it on their own.  I recall also that the yearbook of New Mexico State University had a row of the symbol on its cover in earlier years.  Of course, it will never again be used on Native art but there are early items still around in which it appears and there are individuals who collect such items because of their historical importance to the art of Natives.  

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