This excellent small Zuni Polychrome jar dates to the last quarter of the 19th century. It is of a size for which it is difficult to ascribe a function. Vessels of this size could have been made for repositories of sacred cornmeal, for a gift to a newborn child, or even as a training piece for a beginning potter. It is truly rare to find such an exquisite jar of this diminutive size and of such extraordinary beauty and condition.

It is undeniably Zuni in form, design, materials and character, and is an intriguing and atypical example of late Zuni artistry. The paste is typically Zuni, gray in color with a chunky texture, the temper being ground pottery shards. The underbody and neck interior are black, with white stone-polished slip on the exterior body.

Would you like to know more?

Before sheet silver became the source material for silversmiths, there existed ingot silver and, before that, coin silver.  Ingot silver was popular in the early 20th century up to the middle of the century.  This Navajo bracelet was fashioned from ingot silver and is quite sturdy and heavy.  An enormous amount of turquoise was placed on the bracelet covering the entire top surface and extending around to the sides.  There are 13 beautiful blue cabs, each set in a silver bezel and each setting separated by pairs of silver dots.  Simple stamping was placed on each end of the bracelet.   It is quite possible that this jewelry bracelet dates to circa 1920s.

Would you like to know more? 

The Anasazi are the ancient ones, the ones who preceded the contemporary pueblo peoples. At an Anasazi ruin in Utah in 1960, archaeologists unearthed a buried female who had passed away around 1100. Around the neck of the remains was a beautiful turquoise necklace. Necklaces such as this are still the most favored among the Pueblo people of today.

From the earliest of times, turquoise has been favored by the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest. They mined it at Cerrillos, about 30 miles south of Santa Fe, for centuries. Turquoise had religious, ceremonial, superstitious and economic values to the Pueblo Indians.

Would you like to know more?

This is a strikingly beautiful Acoma Pueblo polychrome water jar with a high shoulder decorated in black-on-white designs and devoid of red except for the underbody. The intricate Tularosa-style design is a series of curvilinear, rectilinear, and fine-line elements combined in an Escher-like manner that is as contemporary as any design and yet reflects its roots of a thousand years ago.

Would you like to know more? 

It is not unusual for this doll to be called a "Mudhead Katsina" or a "Koyemsi" as those are names that have been used for a hundred years or more.  Barton Wright states that it is not considered a katsina at Hopi and that Mudhead and Koyemsi are both nicknames. Wright states that Tachukti is the correct name, Tachukti being the name of a clown, however, Wright says that they are not clowns in the sense we normally consider a clown.  It will, however, always be called a Mudhead as that name is not likely to go away. 

Would you like to know more?

The Yei (pronounced yay) are the supernatural beings of the Diné.  They are often pictured today in Navajo textiles and fine art, but their original, and still current, presentation was in ceremonial healing sandpaintings.  Once the taboo was broken in the early 20th century of presenting healing sandpaintings only in non-permanent form, other uses of the Yei figures developed.  Ceremonial healing sandpaintings must be destroyed after use and there was a time when this was the only manner in which the Yei figure was seen.  After the Yei was presented in woven textile form in the early 20th century, its use became more common in items such as permanent sandpaintings made to sell to tourists.  Today, there are no restrictions against presenting the Yei in art form.

Would you like to know more? 

Positive identification of the katsina that this doll represents is not known.  I have been told that he has been referred to as Tsu'katsina, meaning a Snake Katsina, but that is not necessarily the actual Hopi name.  For now, that is the name we will use.

Would you like to know more? 

During the period 1920 to 1940, many potters at Santo Domingo were hastily making tourist wares to be sold by the roadside, but later in the period, there was an improvement in the quality of the tourist wares. It was also at this time that designs began to include birds, plant forms, and animals, with accents in red, much more than ever before. The potential for sales seemed to be greater when these design elements were used.  This jar dates to circa 1930.

Would you like to know more? 

A life of patience and fortitude paid off for Vladan Stiha.  He had been born in Yugoslavia and departed his home country when it was invaded during World War II.  He attempted to immigrate to the United States but the quota was full so he went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and ten years later, moved to Sao Paula, Brazil. It was during the twenty years he spent in South America that he developed his impressionistic style and use of vivid colors-rich colors based on those so visible in the landscapes and clothing of the colorful peasants he witnessed. 

Would you like to know more?

Traditionally, canteens were made at the pueblos for the men to fill with water and take to the fields with them. Of course, collectors sought after them as well, so potters began making them to sell. This one from Acoma is particularly well made. It has a bulbous shape reminiscent of prehistoric canteen shapes. It is larger than most that were made for sale to tourists so it probably was made for pueblo use, until, that is, when a hole got punctured into the body. At that point, it became available for purchase.

Would you like to know more?

We have been posting items from the former trading post in Carlsbad, New Mexico that closed in 1977 known as Chief Sunny Skies Trading Post.  This wedding vessel is another item related to that family.  It was made by Helen Vallo of Acoma Pueblo and she was a cousin to Chief Sunny Skies (Clyde Hunt) and the mother of Henry Vallo.  The family had retained all the inventory remaining from the trading post since 1977 and has been releasing it to us over the past year.  Here is another great item that stayed in the family and is still owned by Helen's son, Henry Vallo.

Would you like to know more? 

This was a difficult katsina on which to find published data because I did not recognize it.  I had to consult with my trusted katsina expert to figure out which katsina this doll represented.  He immediately identified it asSootukwung'taqa and said that it was missing the crown, a protrusion pointing up from the top of the head.  He is also missing the lightning bolt and bull roarer he uses to make thundering sounds.

Would you like to know more?

Refugees from Acoma, Zuni and other pueblos established Laguna Pueblo a few years after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Its date of establishment was 1699. As a result, its pottery can be very similar to that of Acoma and Zuni Pueblos, and, for the most part, is indistinguishable from ceramics at Acoma, but not so much from that at Zuni except for similarity in design elements. Acoma and Laguna clay is similar but Zuni clay differs from that at those two pueblos.  Sometimes designs must be used as a guideline for distinguishing ceramics at Laguna. 

Would you like to know more? 

Ma'alo Katsina was one of the most popular of the katsinam in dances around 1900. He was often in the Niman dances along with Hemis, Angak'china and Kuwan Heheya. He usually appeared with Takursh Mana as his sister, dancing in a separate line alongside him. For some reason, he is not often seen in dances today. This is not unusual in that katsinas appear and disappear from time to time.

Would you like to know more? 

Barbara Gonzales is an excellent potter and an extension of her famous great-grandmother, Maria Martinez, and her grandparents, Adam and Santana Martinez. Her mother, Anita Martinez, was also a potter. Drawing on the traditions of her family, she expanded this tradition by personalizing her pottery with inlaid coral and turquoise on etched black and sienna wares-often inlaid on spider designs which she created in 1973. Early in her career she occasionally made plain black polished pottery, but no longer does so, nor dose any other potter from San Ildefonso. 

Would you like to know more?

In 1939, Chief Sunny Skies, a Native of Acoma Pueblo, was planning on marrying a woman named Estelle and he made for her a silver and turquoise necklace with beautiful handmade silver beads, eighteen handmade blossoms, each with a beautiful turquoise stone, and a naja with a magnificent turquoise stone in its center.  On the back of the naja, he inscribed "To Estelle from Sunny Skies, 1939, Made by Sunny Skies, Wedding Necklace"

Would you like to know more?

Pottery making at Ohkay Owingeh - San Juan Pueblo almost died out around 1900 except for a few women who made pottery for their own use.  There was no market for these rather plain undecorated vessels.  It is believed that this jar dates to around 1900 or a little earlier.  The upper two-thirds of the jar was slipped with red clay and the lower one-third was left in the natural, un-slipped, tan clay of the full vessel that was stone polished without the addition of red slip.

Would you like to know more? 

Residents of Santa Fe were enchanted with their nearby Native residents of the pueblos of Santa Clara, Tesuque and San Ildefonso. Many Santa Feans decorated their homes with functional pueblo pottery items such as candlesticks, table lamps, salt and pepper shakers, napkin holders, etc. made by those local potters.  These items added a soft touch to otherwise rather sparse interiors of homes during the Great Depression of the 1930s. 

Would you like to know more?

For Helen Hardin, art awards began at the early age of six when she won first prize for the best black and white pencil drawing of a fire engine.  Encouraged by her mother, Helen was soon competing in Indian art competition for children.  She sold her first painting at the age of nine at the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial at Gallup, New Mexico.  During her high school years, Helen was featured in an article in the June, 1959 issue of the national magazine, "Seventeen." She competed in many student art competitions in New Mexico and designed and supervised school projects where artistic ability was needed.  While in school, Helen won several local beauty contests for young Indian girls. 

Would you like to know more?

The Navajo style of highlighting the beauty of a turquoise stone is especially evident in the shadowbox style of this small pendant. The unknown artist has set a sky blue stone within a delicately stamped shadowbox. 

Would you like to know more?