This Tesuque Pueblo figurine is typical of the style made at the turn of the 20th century.  The figurine was covered in cream slip over which the design was painted in yellow and pink within black outlined elements.  The figurine has painted designs on his head, cheeks, neck and on the jar on his lap.  The painted designs are typical of the early 1900s figurines.  This is one of the more elaborately painted rain gods which makes one suspect it is one of the earlier ones before demand increased so significantly that potters began producing faster and decorating less. 

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This Acoma Pueblo candleholder is combined with an ashtray to achieve dual use, an idea which must have appealed to tourists who collected either item.  The base clay has been slipped in orange and painted in polychrome colors that feature the traditional Acoma dual bird design.  On the underside is painted Acoma N.M. but no name of a potter.  It was typical in the mid-20th century to only identify the pueblo and not the potter. 

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Joseph Roy (J. R.) Willis (1876-1960) was a legend in Albuquerque. He was a slim gent with a small mustache. He wore capes. He twirled canes. He smoked Pall Mall cigarettes in an ivory holder. He loved, more than anything, to discuss his paintings. Albuquerque old-timers, who were fascinated by his foppish bearing, remember him. He had flair, a flakiness that today would be considered weird. J. R. Willis was just different. He was an artist. He came from the Southeast to chronicle the Great Southwest. Willis learned art on slates. He made fashion drawings for the Atlanta Constitution. He painted backdrops for Universal Studios in Hollywood. In 1917, Willis left for New York to discuss cartoon syndication. He stopped in Arizona to sketch Hopis. He decided to stay in the Great Southwest. He moved to Gallup, New Mexico, and set himself up as a photographer, and toured the reservations to photograph Navajos, Hopis, Zunis, Lagunas and Acomas. He would then use the photos as sources for his paintings. 

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Tom Perkinson is one of the young artists who came to New Mexico and fell in love with what he saw and has now lived here for 45 years. He moved to New Mexico to pursue his Master's Degree in Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico, and, while doing so, painted the landscape, which started his fascination with southwestern imagery. He found that the drama of light and shadow, and the mystery that characterizes the geography of New Mexico, held great appeal to him. He recognized that he had found an infinite source of inspiration in the panorama of the southwest landscape. His paintings reflect his skill and mastery of this challenging medium, watercolor. Those of us who are not artists owe a great debt to those who are preserving the beauty of New Mexico for us and for the future as it is surely to change over time.

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The Tohono O'odham (formerly Papago) and Akimel O'odham (formerly Pima)are kin groups who weave baskets in much the same style.  It is sometimes difficult to determine from which tribe a basket originated. There are very few women from either tribe who weave baskets in the old style.  In the mid-20th century, basket makers began making miniature baskets to fill the need of collectors.  Such small baskets had no function for the Natives. 

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Pueblos are associated with certain pottery designs that become somewhat a hallmark of their pottery.  San Ildefonso is associated with eagle feather and Avanyu designs, Santa Clara has become associated with the impressed bear paw, Acoma Pueblo is tied to its fine line work and Zuni Pueblo is associated with the heart line deer.

The most prominent designs associated with Santo Domingo Pueblo are black triangles that form a star pattern and the cream ovals outlined in black squares. This deep bowl has the large cream ovals or circles outlined in black that are so tied to its name.  Each potter may treat the pattern slightly different, but overall, it comes out appearing the same.

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Milland Lomakema was a member of the Artist Hopid, a group organized in 1973 by Hopi artists Michael Kabotie, Terrance Talaswaima, and Neil David, Sr.  The objectives of the group were to use Hopi art to instill pride and identity, to educate the world to the aesthetic and cultural values of the Hopi, to develop new ideas in Hopi art, to control the aesthetic for Hopi art, and to document Hopi history through the visual arts.  

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Various dates have been established for the end of the historic period of pottery production.  Some collectors have stated that 1880s was the end period, others have stated the 1920s, but noted authority Jonathan Batkin selected 1940 and it is this last date that we have chosen to use.  There are logical reasons for all the dates, but selecting one is an arbitrary choice that really has no effect on the quality or desirability of pottery.  A pottery vessel is no better or worse by attaching a date of manufacture to it.

This Acoma jar is probably closer to circa 1940 than to any other period.  The traditional elements of Acoma Polychrome are present for a vessel of that time period. The orange-buff underbody, rag-wiped white slip, orange neck interior, and black rim top, as well as the high shoulder, short neck, absence of flexure at the transition from under- to mid-body and the absence of a puki line all contribute to selecting such a date.  The two lower framing lines and the single upper framing line are solid throughout the circumference-ceremonial line breaks are absent.

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The Aguilar sisters were very adept at designing their jars. They were master potters and painters long before collectors were ready for something as creative and out of the norm as their works. They departed from traditional Santo Domingo designs and created designs of their own. Tourists, because of its departure from tradition, did not immediately accept their work. The casual tourist was familiar with the cheap curios and was happy to go home with some knickknack as a souvenir and proudly display it as a "genuine Indian" article.

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The Tohono O'odham are indigenous Native Americans who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico. Tohono O'odham means "Desert People." The federally recognized tribe is known as the Tohono O'odham Nation.

The Tohono O'odham have rejected the former name Papago, used by Europeans after being adopted by Spanish from hearing other Piman bands call them this. The Pima were competitors and referred to the people as Ba:bawĭkoʼa, meaning "eating tepary beans."  That word was understood  as papago by the Spanish and adopted by later English speakers.

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The Native American attitude toward killing animals unnecessarily is well established and historically recorded.  They kill animals when needed for food or other necessities, but not for sport.

There was a time when American bison roamed in limited numbers in the area north and east of Taos Pueblo and the Taos men would organize buffalo hunts on an annual basis.  As the bison population dwindled with trappers killing them for their hides for trade, the bison hunts slowed and came to an end.  The last recorded bison hunt by men of Taos Pueblo was in 1884 in the Texas Panhandle. Grant 1925

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Buffy Cordero Suina (1969- ) was a granddaughter of Fred and Helen Cordero.  Her mom and dad were George and Kathy Cordero.  She credits her interest in pottery to her dad and her grandmother.  It is most likely that Helen had more influence on Buffy as it appears that she quit potting following the death of Helen.  Buffy started making storyteller figurines around 1985 while still a teenager. 

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We are often drilled by clients to explain the meaning of designs on pottery.  Some designs are relatively easy to interpret but others may or may not be identifiable and related to something with which we are familiar.  We have a good escape route in Nampeyo of Hano pottery because we remind clients that designs used by Nampeyo were based on potsherds being excavated at a prehistoric site that existed a thousand years ago.  Even if we think we can interpret a design, it may not be what the potter had in mind a thousand years ago.  Also, Nampeyo used the potsherds for inspiration, not for copying. 

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Tommy Edward Montoya (1952-2009) Than Ts'áy Tas pastel drawings of traditional pueblo rites represent the blending of old and new that characterizes the work of young Native American artists. Authenticity is not something he studied; it is something he lived. As an active participant in pueblo ritual life, his works were created from memory. Montoya's dancers are not frozen in shape or time. They are, instead, the artist's personal expression of the color and motion of the moment. He liked to push his figures to the edges of the canvas or art board. That produced the feeling that they were being contained within borders and made them more dynamic and energetic. He was an extraordinary artist who created an extraordinary drawing in this instance.

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   Richard Sitko Pentewa was one of eleven children of the famous katsina doll carver, Otto Pentewa. He was born and raised at Kykotsmovi watching his father carve and paint. While mostly known as a carver, the younger Pentewa was also a very talented painter.

In this watercolor, a Corn Katsina is depicted in fine detail. There is a sense of movement as the beautiful dance sash flutters behind the dancer. The pumpkin flower, the hallmark signature of his father, Otto Pentewa, as well as the Hopi name of the younger Pentewa, is painted on the loincloth of the katsina.

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This is a very traditional 19th century Zia Pueblo polychrome olla with a very bold design. The 3 birds are bigger than life and command one's attention. The crowns on their heads add an importance to their character. They exude a regal appearance, as if to say "who is more important than I?"

As with all Zia jars, this jar incorporates techniques used for six centuries-specifically the use of crushed basaltic lava as temper. The use of the dark brown and orange mineral paints on the white slip offers a visually pleasing contrast. The wide red band underneath the design area is indicative of late 19th and early 20th century pieces.

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Harrison Begay was a master at capturing the beauty and harmony of everyday Navajo life. In this painting of two young women racing their ponies, Begay has included details that are unique to the Navajo way. The two girls are dressed in traditional woman's fashion, which includes a pleated velvet skirt with a matching top decorated with silver buttons and with a concha belt. On their feet, they have knee high wrapped moccasins. Their hair is held back in the traditional bun or tsee yel. They are wearing turquoise jah clah (ear strings) and silver and turquoise bracelets. 

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There was a period in the late 1700s and early 1800s when many Hopi left the mesas and migrated to their nearest pueblo neighbor-Zuni Pueblo.  This migration was the result of drought, disease, crop failure and other disasters. Many of them stayed at Zuni for 20 or more years and it was during that time that the women were exposed to designs on Zuni pottery.  When they returned to their home land, they brought with them the memories of those pottery designs. 

The Hopi potters were very creative and talented artists so it was not in their interest to copy Zuni pottery designs but to use those designs they saw and experiment with expanding them to enhance their pottery.  In the period 1820 to 1860, we see many Hopi pottery vessels with Zuni-inspired designs. 

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San Ildefonso Polychrome typology gradually replaced its predecessor Powhoge Polychrome typology around the 1890s. There were several changes occurring during this transformation-red paint for designs was revived, vessel shape changed, and black rims replaced red ones. It was also during this time, that potter's names began to be associated with their work.

As Jonathan Batkin has well documented, there were several outstanding potters at San Ildefonso during the 1890s whose work can fairly accurately be associated with their names. Following publication of Batkin's studies, it has become easier today to identify late 19th and early 20th century pottery to artists with some degree of accuracy, or so we hope. One husband and wife team, who were extraordinary artisans, was Martina Vigil and Florentino Montoya.

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Native Americans valued shields as means of protection. There were two types of shields. One type was used as a defensive tool, to protect against arrows in battle. It was made of thick hide and decorated with symbols of protection that were personal to the owner.

The other type of shield was a medicine shield, made to protect the owner spiritually. It also would be decorated with symbols meaningful to the owner.

This painting is most probably of a warrior shield because of the addition of other symbols of battle. The lance, bow and arrows, and war club are all battle weapons.

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