Jemez Pueblo Pottery

Jemez Pueblo

Presenting both traditional and contemporary pottery by Jemez artists including Mary Small, Vangie Tafoya, Carol Loretto, Elston & Dena Yepa, Pauline Romero, Bertina Tosa, Geraldine Sandia, Alvina Yepa, Helen Tafoya Henderson, Bertha Gachupin, Marcella Yepa, Wilma Baca, Brenda Tafoya, Joyce Lucero, Maxine T. Yepa, Ben & Geraldine Toya, Laverne Loretto-Tosa, Betty Jean (B.J.) Fragua, Carol Gachupin, Mary Louise E. Teeyan, Dennis Daubs, Marcella Yepa, and Juanita Fragua.

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Natalie Sandia has been a potter since 1992 working with polychrome, black-on-red bowls and vases. Her work is stunning with superb, rich colors and fine line execution plus excellent pot shape. Not surprising considering that she is the daughter of Geraldine Sandia - a woman renowned for her fine polychrome work. Natalie's work is included in Berger & Schiffer's "Pueblo and Navajo Contemporary Pottery", and in Dr. Gregory Schaaf's "Southern Pueblo Pottery: 2000 Artist Biographies". Natalie exhibits her work regularly at the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts and Crafts Fair. This beautiful polychrome vase measures 7 inches tall by 5.25 inches wide. Your price $225 ~ Item #J264. Click here to see an enlargement.

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Wilma Baca "New Wheat" has been an active potter since 1987 working with contemporary sgraffito polished redware jars, bowls and vases. She was taught traditional pottery making by her grandmother, Marie Reyes Shendo. Her work has become widely known is is avidly collected because of its high quality with exact incising and very high polishing. The shape of her pottery is contemporary with exquisite graceful curves and flow. It should also be noted that the value of her pieces has also climbed along with demand - worth collecting both aesthetically and financially.

Wilma's work is included in Berger & Schiffer's "Pueblo and Navajo Contemporary Pottery", and in Dr. Gregory Schaaf's "Southern Pueblo Pottery: 2000 Artist Biographies". The top piece is a very graceful vase measuring 5 inches tall by 5.25 inches wide. Your price $485 ~ Item #J202

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Mary Louise E. Teeyan, of the Jemez Pueblo, has been an active potter for 25 years and specializes in olla, jars, lidded bowls, wedding vases and seed jars. She has won first place awards at the New Mexico State Fair, the Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Arts & Crafts Show, and the Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial. Her work is shown by the Indian Craft Shop, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, D.C., and many other prominent galleries.

The vase at left, top, features the basket of corn offering. Her painting is flawless and polishing (red) very deep. This vase measures 5 inches tall by 3.5 inches wide. Your price $195 ~ Item #J192

Mary's work is has been published in  Dr. Gregory Schaaf's "Southern Pueblo Pottery Artist Biographies", and 'Southwestern Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni" by Allan Hayes & John Blom.

The beautiful vase at right, bottom, measures 5 inches tall by 4 inches wide. Your price is $195 ~Item #J206

Mary Louise E.teeyan is a wonderfully talented Jemez potter who is largely self-taught. She says she observed various potters at work but has never had any specific instruction from a particular potter. She is surely one of the best potters to emerge from Jemez Pueblo. Mary is highly respected for her flawless painting and shapes. She is well-known for not accepting anything less than perfection in her work and has always destroyed pots and vases that were flawed rather than have them be sold at half price as some potters will do.

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Click here to see wedding vases by Mary Louise E.Teeyan

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Mary Small Kal-La-Tee, "New Indian Basket" is from Jemez Pueblo and has been an active potter since the 1950s working with matt polychrome jars, bowls, wedding vases, storytellers and miniatures. She was taught traditional pottery making by her mother Perfectita Toya. These pots are flawless with perfect shape, color and graphics. Mary is a Master Potter and as such sets the prices for her work. She a wonderful person who has worked for decades to achieve the quality of her work and I've promised to honor her wishes. The pot at left, top, measures 8 inches tall by 8.5 inches wide. Your price $825 ~ Item #J261.Click here to see an enlargement

Pottery making is a continuous prayer in her life. Each step in her process is an occasion of ceremonial attunement. Mary states, “I ask a blessing for each stage. Before beginning to make the pottery, I ask Mother Earth to give me good clay because my belief is strong. I respect the potteries. They give me bread and butter for my family. I talk to the clay. I put my mind to making good pots. I treat them like human beings so they won’t be broken. If an accident happens, I bury the piece and give it back to Mother Earth. In return I’ll get a nice pot. I was taught that by my mother.” She adds, “When my potteries are finished, they are blessed. They have power. Whoever buys the pottery should have a nice home, a happy life, and a sacred object because there are a lot of prayers in my potteries.”

The pot at right, bottom, really is spectacular with a dramatic shape that shows her expertise in working with the clay. It measures 11.25 inches tall by 8 inches wide. Your price $1,200 ~ Item #J260. Click here to see an enlargement.

Mary and Simon Small’s pottery has won numerous awards including 1st place at the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Heard Museum Show, the New Mexico State Fair, the Inter-tribal ceremonial, and the Indian Arts & Crafts Association Show (IACA). She was the IACA’s 2002 Artist of the Year, winning with a beautiful olla that she is pictured with here. Mary’s work is included in “Southwestern Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni” by Hayes and Blom; Gregory Schaaf's “Southern Pueblo Pottery Biographies”; and Berger and Schiffer's “Pueblo and Navajo Contemporary Pottery”.

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