Zuni lapidary artisans are masters at cutting turquoise precisely to fit between silver bars in a mosaic style.  The shape of the pin has been noted as representing a pair of hummingbirds.  The shape is known internationally and has many names but we will stick with the Zuni name.

Read more about this pin here.

The first Zuni silversmith, Lanyad, learned his trade from the Navajo smith Adsity Chon in 1872. After that time the Zuni combined their lapidary skills with delicate silver work to develop a distinctive jewelry style.  The Zuni then specialized in setting stones into the newly discovered technique of silverwork.  This exquisite ring is comprised of individual small cuts of turquoise and jet which then were joined stone-to-stone.  The six stone-to-stone pieces were then inlayed between silver channels.  The face of the ring is flat.

Read more about this Zuni ring here.

The Zuni Rainbow Man is among the most popular jewelry item for collectors. Representations 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.

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Zuni artisan Frank Vasik was active between 1930 and 1950 or a little later.  He was married to the daughter of Leekya Deyuse, the most famous Zuni fetish carver of all times.  His jewelry is in the collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian and the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

Read more about this ring here.

The bola tie has become as much of a southwestern way of dress as cowboy boots and the ten-gallon hat. In fact, it is now by legislative decree the official neckwear of the state of Arizona. Victor E. Cedarstaff, of Wickenburg, Arizona, designed and handcrafted the first bola tie in the late 1940s.

Read more about this bola tie here..

Marie Charlotte Suina was a daughter of Ada Suina.  She passed away in 2010 at the age of 46 years.  Her later storytellers are as much like those of her mom's as they could possibly be.  I assume this one is an earlier creation as it somewhat resembles the work of Ada but not as much as the later ones by Marie Charlotte.  She won an award at the 1988 Santa Fe Indian Market for one of her storyteller figurines.

Read more about this storyteller here..

This charming storyteller features an adult female holding 3 children.  The adult has her eyes closed and mouth open while telling stories to the kids.  The clutches the three in her arms to keep them from scattering. 

I have been unable to find any published information on Rufina Trujillo. In a personal conversation with Mary Trujillo of Cochiti Pueblo..


Read more about this storytellery here..

Every artist doodles and that is what this drawing of an emaciated Indian on an even more emaciated horse suggests.  It is a drawing that Velino Shije Herrera (1902-1973) Ma Pe Wi (Oriole) probably did just for the fun of sketching, probably not with the intention of selling it, but the current owner either purchased it in the 1960s or perhaps it was a gift from the artist to the owner.  At any rate, it's a charming piece and makes one want to smile.

Read more about this drawing here..

David Chethlahe Paladin (1926-1984) had an incredible imagination based on the myths and legends learned during his youth.  It is not always clear what he is representing in his paintings and that is a positive statement as it leaves the interpretation to the imagination of the viewer.

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"The Mystery Storm" could be interpreted as a storm that was unexpected or unexplained or, perhaps, out of season.  What Beatien Yazz had in mind remains unknown.  The painting is powerful in presentation-the dark sky with the white lightning setting the stage for the excellent presentation of the three horses and their riders.  The horses are startled and the Indians appear to be frightened.

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One always hopes that a trove of paintings by a deceased artist is found years following the death of the artist and that is exactly what has happened here.  When José Encarnacion Peña passed away in 1979, his widow, Pat Peña, moved to Taos as it is customary for non-Native partners to depart the pueblo once the Native partner is no longer alive.  When Pat passed away a decade ago, her grandson, a Santa Fe auto mechanic, cleaned out her residence and put a group of a dozen or more paintings by Encarnacion away.  Just recently, he decided to investigate their desirability and value and contacted us for advice.

Read more about this painting here..

Unquestionably the outstanding Tesuque Pueblo painter and one of the most outstanding of all the pueblo artists was Patrick Swazo Hinds. Adopted at the age of 9 by a California family, Swazo grew up off the reservation but returned every summer to Tesuque. It is this exposure to a different way of life that is probably responsible for his style of art and that, in turn, is responsible for his wide appeal and his great success as an artist.

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Tesuque Pueblo is the closest pueblo to Santa Fe and, as a result, was the pueblo selected by Santa Fe merchants in the late 1800s as a source for tourist pottery items.  The most famous, of course, are the Tesuque Rain God figurines, which were made in the tens of thousands.  Also popular with tourists were small bowls, sugar and creamer sets, salt and pepper sets, ashtrays, and vases.

Perhaps, too, smoking pipes were popular, but they do not appear that frequently today, so it is surmised that not too many were made. It is not likely that they were purchased to be used as a smoking device, but rather were considered souvenirs. The popular design for smoking pipes was a figural element, mostly poking fun at Spanish noblemen or merchants.

Read more about this pottery pipe here..

Tesuque Pueblo is the closest pueblo to Santa Fe and, as a result, was the pueblo selected by Santa Fe merchants in the late 1800s as a source for tourist pottery items.  The most famous, of course, are the Tesuque Rain God figurines, which were made in the tens of thousands.  Also popular with tourists were small bowls, sugar and creamer sets, salt and pepper sets, ashtrays, and vases.

Perhaps, too, smoking pipes were popular, but they do not appear that frequently today, so it is surmised that not too many were made. It is not likely that they were purchased to be used as a smoking device.

Read more about this pottery here..

Hopi Pueblo potter Adelle Lalo Nampeyo is a daughter of Elva Tewaguna Nampeyo (1926-1985) and granddaughter of Fannie Polacca Nampeyo (1900-1987).  Her sisters are Miriam Tewaguna and Neva Polacca and her brother is Elton Tewaguna.  Adelle credits her mother and grandmother for teaching her the techniques of making pottery and she uses designs traditional to the family, which are mostly designs from Sikyatki pottery that Nampeyo of Hano reintroduced a hundred years ago.

Read more about this pottery here..

Hopi Pueblo potter Adelle Lalo Nampeyo is a daughter of Elva Tewaguna Nampeyo (1926-1985) and granddaughter of Fannie Polacca Nampeyo (1900-1987).

This jar by Adelle features a very traditional Nampeyo family design using a painted square around the opening and four eagle tail designs radiating from that square.

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   Tina Garcia was a granddaughter of Severa Tafoya (1890-1973) who was a sister of Van Gutierrez of Lela and Van fame.  Tina's mom, Lydia Tafoya, was from Santa Clara Pueblo and her father, Santiago Garcia, from Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, so Tina signed her pottery with her name and the names of both pueblos.

Tina received awards as early as the 1974 Santa Fe Indian Market, where she took a First Place ribbon.  She continued getting First Place awards and Best of Division awards for her pottery and one can understand why she received so many awards when looking at this highly-polished red jar.

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James Stevenson collected jars at Acoma, for the Smithsonian, before 1880 with birds with straight beaks such as those on this jar, indicating that they existed as early as the 1870s.  We think of birds on Acoma jars as always being represented as parrots, but birds of this style were also painted, although certainly not as frequently.

The birds on this Acoma jar have slim bodies and elaborate tail feathers.  They are not outlined in black except for the head.  They have fat thighs and short skinny legs whose feet are attached to plants.  The black circular eyes on all four birds are covered with orange paint almost to the point of obliteration.

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It's refreshing to see a young couple pool their talents and create something that is traditional in form and yet contemporary in design.  Harlan Reano, from Kewa Pueblo, and Lisa Holt, from Cochiti Pueblo, have done just that. Lisa Holt creates the pottery vessels and Harlan Reano paints the designs.  The designs chosen are traditional to Kewa Pueblo and yet with a contemporary style.

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San Ildefonso large pottery bowls are among the scarcest items made at the pueblo. One rarely sees them. Water jars or ollas are much more available. This bowl was coil formed from native clay and slipped with bentonite (Cochiti variety) that required only rag polishing as opposed to the pre-1900 San Ildefonso slip that required stone polishing. The use of bentonite slip and a red rim are clues to the period of the bowl, which is around 1905-1910.

Read more about this pottery here..