José Rey Toledo, from Jemez Pueblo, was a very well educated person. He had attended the Albuquerque Indian School in the 1930s, then went to the University of New Mexico from which he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree and continued on to obtain a Masters of Arts at UNM by 1955. After graduating from UNM, he served as head of the art department at the Santa Fe Indian School. He obtained a Masters of Public Health degree from the University of California Berkley in 1972.

He is listed as having been an art instructor, education health specialist, administrator of Indian health programs, actor, educator, lecturer, muralist and painter. It is this last category-painter-that is of interest to us.

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This is a superb 20th century jar from Acoma Pueblo, dating to 1930s or 1940s. Although the design is a two-color-black on white-the jar technically is classed as Polychrome because the orange underbody adds the third color.  The base coat consists of a rag-wiped white slip and there is a red neck interior and black rim top. This olla is typified to these dates by the high shoulder, short neck, and absence of flexure at the transition from under- to mid-body.

Acoma Pueblo clay, as well as that from most pueblos, requires a tempering agent to be mixed with the clay in preparation for forming pottery.  Acoma potters gather broken pottery fragments from the grounds of the pueblo and grind them up to a powdery substance and that is then added to the clay as a temper agent.  The result of doing this is a continuation of the life of a previous pot into the life of a new pot, resulting in an unbroken chain of continuity in the life of Acoma pottery.

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Virgil Thomas became an active silversmith in 1972 and continued until his early death in 1986.  His specialty was the traditional Hopi silver overlay technique promoted by the Hopi Arts & Crafts Co-op Guild which was formed in 1947, after World War II, when returning Hopi servicemen were trained at a silversmithing school founded under the G.I. bill.

The late Paul Saufkie, Sr. was the technical instructor and the late Fred Kabotie, noted Hopi artist and designer, taught design. Although many techniques of silver work were used, the overlay style gradually emerged as the dominate style. This simple, unique, elegant jewelry is now considered essentially the Hopi style of jewelry.

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This necklace is comprised of natural shaped turquoise cabs drilled and strung, some stone-to-stone and some separated by silver beads. According to The Maisel Company records, the turquoise is Persian. The necklace dates to around 1960.

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The Deer Katsina is one of the very popular Plaza Dance participants. Usually when he appears, a Wolf or Mountain Lion Katsina, as a side dancer, accompanies him. The Deer Katsina has power over rain, and, when he dances, it is a prayer for increase of deer.

This Katsina was carved by Silas Roy, Sr. (1948- ).  Silas is of the Coyote Clan and has been actively carving Katsina dolls since 1963. He is from Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation, living alternately at the villages of Moencopi and Hotevilla. He has won many awards from the Heard Museum, Museum of Northern Arizona, Scottsdale Nationals, and Tanner Indian Arts show.

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It is believed that the Navan Katsina originated at the Village of Moencopi on Third Mesa sometime after 1900. He is a very colorful Katsina with his velvet shirt and colorful ribbons. He represents the blooming of plant life and the beauty of life, as illustrated by the flowers on his head. His songs are prayers for rain to sustain life. Secakuku 1995

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Click the picture to see it in motion.

This belt appears to be from the 1950s and is not stamped with the name of the maker.  It contains 12 individual conchas plus a buckle.  Each concha has a green oval and domed turquoise cab at its apex and each concha is profusely stamped with traditional Navajo designs.  The unusual aspect of the belt is that each concha is scalloped around its edges.

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Some potters follow tradition religiously when making pottery and others seem to follow their own ideas if they do not interfere with tradition.  The Acoma Pueblo potter of this serving bowl followed tradition in all steps of making the bowl but deviated from the norm when painting the design.  The only deviation she made is a minor one but one I have never seen before.  The framing line at the lower end of the design panel is normally a straight line around the bowl but this bowl has its framing line in a wavy pattern. something not really noticeable until one turns the bowl upside down.  Perhaps this was a style she followed on other bowls but I have not seen another.  The bowl did have the name of the potter but the only writing left readable is New Mexico.

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The most beautiful pottery ever made at Isleta is the plain-ware vessels that are referred to as Red-on-tan typology. Typical traits are sand temper, a red band wiped around the exterior rim, and scattered fire clouds on the exterior. These pieces were traditionally made for use at the pueblo and were rarely sold to tourists who preferred the decorated wares that were not even traditional to Isleta but were brought in with a group of potters from Laguna Pueblo who migrated to and settled at Isleta before 1900.

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Popovi Da deserves much credit for his influence on pueblo pottery. By having a retail shop at San Ildefonso Pueblo, he was in a position to demand only the finest wares from potters who wished to sell in his studio.  He was following in the footsteps of his famous parents in demanding the finest work.  He encouraged many potters by purchasing their finest pieces during trade fairs and Indian Market.  Much of the demand for high quality pottery by collectors today is the result of Popovi's influence.  It was not until after he passed away in 1971 that prices escalated on outstanding pottery, but it was his influence that is partially responsible for it.

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This painting was most likely executed before Vigil moved to California in the 1950s to work for Walt Disney Studios.  It is of his earlier style and the person, from whose family it came, received it before his retirement in 1955.  The colors are still brilliantly beautiful and there is no evidence of fading or acid damage to the paper on which it is painted.

Romando Vigil was one of the San Ildefonso self-taught artists in the early part of the 20th century. He was a leader within the San Ildefonso Watercolor Movement, a movement that caught fire during 1915 to 1917. It fostered an art form unmatched in the cultural history of the world. These men portrayed tribal culture and local wildlife, attaining a flat decorative character, absent of backgrounds and foregrounds, and free of traditional perspective, with an unerring color sense. Their success in these presentations was due to their understanding the ceremonials they painted because they had participated in them since childhood. They understood the meanings of the symbolism they interpreted.

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Based on research by Lanmon and Harlow and published in their book on Zia Pueblo pottery, we are much more informed on design styles and dating of Zia pottery than ever before.

We now know that the orange/tan slip, as seen on this jar, first appeared in the 1900-1910 period. An even more significant discovery is that the loss of red banding on the underside of the vessel being replaced by a polished red slip occurred in the 1920-1930 period. Base on the most restrictive of these criteria, this jar then dates to the decade before the 1920s.

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The shape of this vessel is very traditional to the Tewa pueblos, particularly San Ildefonso. It has a very aggressive swell at mid-section, a graceful neck and a flared-out rim. It displays the typical tan Tewa paste with volcanic ash and white stone fragments as temper.

The entire upper part of the vessel has had an application of Cochiti rag-wiped slip. This and the red band at the lower end of the slip are indicative of a piece dating to after 1905, however the red rim is indicative of pre-1900 San Ildefonso Polychrome wares. Substituting a black rim for the traditional red rim occurred between 1895 and 1910, therefore this jar likely dates to the 1905-1910 period.

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There is very little published information on Mae Mutz.  She was from the village of Sichomovi on the Hopi Reservation and presumably was an active potter from around 1960 to 1983.  That is the extent of the published information.

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West and slightly north of Teec Nos Pos, very close to the Utah border, are three other posts-Red Mesa, Sweetwater, and Mexican Water-where weavers have produced some outstanding rugs.  Generally, each element of design is outlined in the tradition seen at Teec Nos Pos but the designs are simpler and the colors more pleasing.  Traditionally, all weavers used only handspun native wool.

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Jan Loco is a member of the Warm Springs Apache tribe.  She began making jewelry in 1988. She has developed a method of making jewelry without the use of hand tools. After cutting the silver to the desired shape (with heavy-duty poultry scissors or something similar), she hammers it with a specially selected rock until she achieves the texture she desires. This is a laborious task, but she feels it honors her ancestry to use items of nature rather than power tools.

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Pueblo moccasins are made with hard soles and soft uppers.  The soles are traditionally cut from rawhide or tanned, thick, neck skin of the deer.  Both Hopi and Zuni make dance moccasins of this style.  The moccasin is painted with blue paint and the front tab painted with yellow paint.  The sole is painted black.

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Dance wands are part of women's ceremonial paraphernalia.  They are rectangular wood tablets with a handle at one end.  When used in dances, one wand is carried vertically in each hand.  On one side of the wand is painted a figure of a rain god or other ceremonial personage.  Rain clouds hover above the figure and a corn symbol is below. There are two holes drilled at the top corners of the wand from which downy feathers are tied.  A series of parallel lines is painted on the backs.

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This katsina, sometimes call the Mak Katsina, is considered to be an import from Laguna Pueblo to the Hopi Mesas. This katsina was illustrated by Jesse Walter Fewkes in Plate XLVII of his publication Hopi Kachinas but Fewkes referred to him as Kwacas Alex Taka, which translates to "eagle feathers erect man" which is based on the two erect feathers on the head, which this doll is missing.

Fred Kabotie, famous Hopi artist, illustrated a pair of this katsina in his 1938 watercolor painting Hunting Dance from Laguna. The katsina is sometimes referred to at Hopi as a Hunter Katsina.

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Adobe Gallery will devote this weekend to the final viewing of its current exhibit:

Tradition & Innovation: the art of Pablita Velarde and Helen Hardin

This very powerful and important Special Exhibit opened in March and will close on Saturday, May 7^th.  Adobe Gallery is the premier gallery for displaying Fine Art of this famous mother & daughter, formerly of Santa Clara Pueblo. 

Pablita was one of the very first female Pueblo painters.  She even made her own painting medium by grinding up earth minerals into a fine powder. 

You don't want to miss viewing this one!  Currently on display, the closing reception will be Friday evening from 4 to 6 pm.  Questions may be referred to the gallery at 505.955.0550 or by email: info@adobegallery.com. 

Previews of all paintings may be seen online: https://www.adobegallery.com/shows/pablita-velarde-helen-hardin-tradition-innovation