Popovi Da & Maria

Maria of San Ildefonso

Above is the pottery of Maria and Julian . . . the start of an era. Right is Popovi Da and his mother, Maria, from San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico. The bowl pictured below is classic in its style. Made in 1925, it is signed "Marie."

Using" atmosphere described above. Members of the Tafoya and Naranjo families are well known Santa Clara pottery makers. Two members of the Tafoya family known by other names are Grace Medicineflower and Joseph Lonewolf whose mark is pictured here. Virginia Ebelacker and Belen Tapia are also noted Santa Clara potters.

The pottery of San Ildefonso is the subject of full length books yet space here permits only a few paragraphs. The best known of the San Ildefonso potters is Maria Martinez and the other members of her family: Julian, Popovi Da, and Tony Da. Maria is frequently acknowledged for her re-discovery of black pottery which is produced by firing vessels in a reducing carbon atmosphere. This is stated as a "re-discovery" in as much as blackware was produced a century earlier in the Tewa pueblos. In addition Maria was instrumental in influencing pueblo potters to sign their work. Maria no longer produces pottery but her earlier work includes styles as red-on-black, polychrome, redware and of course, blackware. Maria is said to have never decorated her pottery, leaving this to her husband, Julian, and later to Popovi Da, her son. The two variations of black color which you see on the pottery pictured here results when the painted vessels are fired in the "reducing" atmosphere. The painted designs appear as a matte black next to the unpainted portions of the pottery. Maria's son, Popovi Da, is generally credited with popularizing the sienna or tan color. Popovi Da and Tony Da are also frequently cited for their use of silver, turquoise and heshi as decorative materials on pottery.

There are many other well known San Ildefonso potters, including Blue Corn and Adam and Santana whose work is also featured here.

As distinctive as the polished and black wares from the Tewa pueblos, are the white wares from Cochiti, Zia, Santo Domingo, Acoma and Zuni pueblos. Bowl, jar and olla shapes are common to all, but color and design styles distinguish each pueblo's work. The term white ware is applied to the pottery of these pueblos because of the white background on which the design elements appear. In addition to the container forms, animal, bird and human figurines are modeled by potters in these pueblos. Perhaps most famous of the pottery figurines are those of the Cochiti potter, Helen Cordero. These figures of seated women with children are called "story teller."

The painting on the pottery of the pueblos mentioned above is traditionally done prior to firing. However, at two pueblos, Jemez and Tesuque, one can frequently find pottery which is painted after firing (or, in some cases sundried unfired pottery is even painted). Much of the paint is water base poster paint and will smudge when rubbed with a moistured cloth. In Zia pueblo the husband and wife team of Sophia and Rafael Medina also produce pottery painted after firing but the paint is acrylic and the design styles are non-traditional, at least for pottery. Many of Rafael's paintings depict scenes from pueblo cere-monial life.

The Hopi villages in Arizona have several pottery traditions. Among the best known is the polychrome ware revived at the turn of the century by Nampeyo. This style tradition, a copy of the prehistoric Sikyatki polychrome, is continued today by other members of the Nampeyo family on First Mesa. The Hopi polychrome in this tradition is distinctive by its orange/ yellow background color. In addition, Hopi women make an undecorated red ware and a decorated white ware.

One of the most unique of all contemporary Hopi potters is Elizabeth White (Polingaysi Qogawayma). Her work, afterfiring, varies in color from cream-white to pink and is decorated with human and plant forms, the former frequently being a flute-player and the latter being corn. Two other well known Hopi potters famous for their decorated white ware are Joy Navasie and Helen Naha. Like many Hopi potters they sign their work with a hallmark rather than a signature. Joy Navasie's hallmark is a frog and Helen Naha's is a feather. Surrounding the Hopi in Arizona and the adjoining parts of New Mexico and Utah are the Navajo. Traditionally they were neither agriculturalists nor potters. But today some Navajo women make pottery. It is distinctively brown in color and not infrequently the walls are surfaced with pinon pitch. It is often noted that for cultures like the Navajo which traditionally lived by hunting and later by pastoralism, pottery is too fragile an artifact to travel. Basketry or animal skin containers were better suited for the traditional lifeways of such societies.

firing, varies in color from cream-white to pink and is decorated with human and plant forms, the former frequently being a flute-player and the latter being corn. Two other well known Hopi potters famous for their decorated white ware are Joy Navasie and Helen Naha. Like many Hopi potters they sign their work with a hallmark rather than a signature. Joy Navasie's hallmark is a frog and Helen Naha's is a feather. Surrounding the Hopi in Arizona and the adjoining parts of New Mexico and Utah are the Navajo. Traditionally they were neither agriculturalists nor potters. But today some Navajo women make pottery. It is distinctively brown in color and not infrequently the walls are surfaced with pinon pitch. It is often noted that for cultures like the Navajo which traditionally lived by hunting and later by pastoralism, pottery is too fragile an artifact to travel. Basketry or animal skin containers were better suited for the traditional lifeways of such societies.

Located in southern Arizona are the Pima, Papago, and Maricopa Indian tribes. The Pima and Papago are probably lineal descendants of the prehistoric Hohokam. Both produced undecorated red wares in the past and the Papago also manufactured some black-on-white pottery. Common Pima/Papago pottery shapes include the olla, bowl, jar and vase forms. Today only the Papago produce pottery, however Maricopa residents on Pima reservations make pottery.

The Maricopas formerly lived on the Colorado River and later moved to the Gila and Salt River reservations of the Pima. They make a polished black-on-red ware similar to traditional Pima/Papago pottery, but at least one vessel-shape is unique to the Maricopa. That is the graceful long-necked jar. A number of Maricopa potters are active today. Among them are: Mary Juan, Mabel Sunn, Vesta Bread, Alma Lawrence, Barbara Johnson, Beryl Stevens and Malinda Redbird.

One of the Papago potters is Laura Kerman of Topawa, Arizona. In addition to the traditional Papago red ware, Laura crafts unique scenes of traditional Papago culture in pottery. Such scenes include the "sahuaro harvest," the "baking of bread," figures on horseback and ramada scenes. The painted colors in these scenes are applied after firing.

On the Colorado River, three pottery producing tribes are found: the Yuma, the Cocopah and the Mohave. Today, very little pottery is made for sale by members of any of these tribes.

It is interesting to note that while today there are few members of the Colorado River rancheria tribes making pottery, there are a number of pueblo potters living here who do make pottery. They include Hopis as well as Santa Clara artists who work in the style of their respective pueblos.

Thus far we have talked at length of pottery as a manufacturing process and as an art form bound largely to tribal styles. What is missing of course are the thoughts and feelings of the people who make and collect Southwestern Indian pottery. The accompanying article of an Anglo collector will suffice for the latter, but below are two quotes that give us some insights as to the Indian potter's view of her art.

The quotes are reported in Ruth Bunzel's classic study The Pueblo Potter.

"First I paint the stomach and then I paint the lips. I always use different designs on the lips and the stomach. You do not have to use the same number of designs on the lips as you use on the body." (Bunzell, 1972, p. 16) "I am always thinking about designs, even when I am doing other things, and whenever I close my eyes, I see designs in front of me. I often dream of designs, and whenever I am ready to paint, I close my eyes and then the designs just come to me. I paint them as I see them." (Bunzell, 1972, p. 51) "I think about designs all the time. Sometimes when I have to paint a pot, I can't think what design to put on it. Then I go to bed thinking about it all the time. Then when I go to sleep, I dream about designs. I can't always remember them in the morning, but if I do, then I paint that on the pot." (Bunzell, 1972, p. 51)