Santa Clara Pottery / San Ildefonso Pottery

Santa Clara / San Ildefonso Pueblo

Pueblo Pottery Maine presents both traditional and contemporary pottery by Santa Clara and San Ildefonso artists including Mary Cain, Mida Tafoya, Tina Diaz, Sammy Naranjo, Stella Chavarria, Victor and Naomi Eckleberry, Bernice Naranjo, Barbara Martinez, Martin Moquino, Corn Moquino, Denise Chavarria, Forrest Naranjo, Ron Suazo, Dusty Naranjo, Eric Sunbird Fender, Lois Gutierrez, Alice Martinez, Sharon Naranjo Garcia, Martha Appleleaf, Madeline & Adrian Naranjo, Linda Cain, Marilyn Martinez, Glenda Naranjo, Eugene Gutierrez, Gwen Tafoya, Goldenrod, Anna Archuleta, Ethel Vigil, Chris Martinez, Sherry Tafoya and Kevin Naranjo.

How to make a Purchase

Sherry Tafoya of Santa Clara Pueblo is one of the many potting daughters of well-known potter, Mida Tafoya. Her grandmother was the revered Santa Clara potter Christina Naranjo. Sherry's sisters who pot include Ethel Vigil, Phyllis Tafoya and Cookie Tafoya. Sherry pots in a classically traditional Santa Clara style which is greatly influenced by her mother.

The pot at top, left, is a Best Quality piece with superb carving and polish. This is one of those perfect large vases that become the center piece for a Santa Clara collection. It measures 11 inches tall by 8.5 inches wide. Your price $1,850 ~ Item #SC234. Please click here to see an enlargement.
SOLD

The pot at right, measures 5.5 inches tall by 7 inches wide. It is precisely carved - very sharp - with an excellent attractive shape and burnished to a very deep black. This is an excellent piece of Santa Claran carved black ware - very nice quality. Your price $575 - Item #SC252

Sherry's work is featured in Rick Dillingham's "Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery","Southwestern Pottery: Anasazi to Zuni" by Hayes & Blom; Lillian Peaster's "Pueblo Pottery Families"and Dr. Gregory Schaaf's "Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies". Her work continues to evolve and receive more and more recognition from writers and collectors alike.

At left is a perfectly executed redware Best Quality vase with avanyu motif and bear paw. This piece really shows the masterful work that Sherry can and does produce. A more modest size than the blackware vase at top, it measures 9.5 inches tall by 8 inches wide. This is the carved redware piece you want for your collection. Your price $1,295 ~ Item #SC362. Click here to see an enlargement.

Roll your cursor over images to see detail.

How to make a Purchase

Erik Sunbird Fender (Than Tsiden), of San Ildefonso Pueblo, has been an active potter since 1985 working with polychrome, black-on-black, green-on-red, green on black jars, bowls and plates. He is also a noted painter and sculptor and has won first place for his pottery, painting and sculpture at the Santa Fe Indian Market and at the First New Mexico Congressional Art Competition. Erik is the son of Martha Appleleaf Fender who is the niece of Maria Martinez. He often shows with his mother. His work is included in Dr. Gregory Schaaf's "Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies", and in Rick Dillingham’s "Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery".

At top is a spectacular and rare double hip black There is a slight green tint which has become a hallmark that he now does for contrast but under normal lighting it appears much closer to black. This vase by Erik has to fill the heart of any collector with desire and temptation. A really great addition to any collection and highly recommended in keeping with the rule of collecting to buy the best that you can afford. It measures 7 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide. Your price $1,150 ~ Item #SC357 Click here to see a larger image.

The second pot (above, right) is a greenish black-on-black seed pot with feather motif all the way around. This pot would make Maria Martinez proud - highest quality deep black polish, excellent art work and shape. There is a slight, soft green tint to the graphics. Erik is known for trying different soft tint color slips on his black ware This pot measures inches 4.25 inches tall by 6.25inches wide. Your price $850 - Item #SC285.

At left is another red ware pot with a cream color design. It is 6 inches tall by 5 inches wide. A different slip clay was used in the design work than on pot #3. It's a beautiful piece at an excellent price. Your price is $780 ~ Item #SC287.

Erik wins more awards and well deserved praise every year. His work is now being purchased by the best galleries in the Southwest who sell at top dollar. It is increasingly difficult for collectors to acquire it at anything less than full gallery retail. Do not miss an increasingly rare opportunity to purchase Erik's work before it is out of reach.

At right, bottom, is a smaller piece by Erik which isn't that common in black ware It measures 4.25 by 4.25 inches. Very well done of course. Erik has very high standards whether he's working on a small pot or an olla - quality is quality. This is why we recommend his work so highly. The black slip does have a soft green tint to it. Your price $545 ~ Item #SC288.

Roll your cursor over images to see another image of each piece.

How to make a Purchase

Elizabeth Naranjo is of San Ildefonso and Santa Claran lineage hand has been an active potter since 1950 working with black on black and carved blackware. She is the daughter of Pablita and Jose Chavarria and the wife of Ernest J. Naranjo. Elizabeth has won several first place awards at the Santa Fe Indian Market plus Best of Division for large incised wedding vases. A 15 inch wedding vase by Elizabeth sold for $3.450 at Christie's in 1995. A piece of Elizabeth's work is a prize in any collection and are not often seen available for purchase.

The bowl at left is a vintage piece measures 2.5 inches high by 5.75 inches wide. A very fine piece, in excellent shape with no chips, scratches or bruises. Please note the highly polished inside of the bowl. Your price $595 ~ Item #SC350. Please click here to see an enlargement.

At right, another vintage piece, is a small black-on-black pot by Elizabeth in excellent condition. It measures 2.75 inches tall by 3.75 inches wide. Your price $450 ~ Item #SC352. Please click here to see an enlargement.

Christine's work has appeared in Gregory Schaaf's "Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies"; "Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery" by Dillingham; Lillian Peaster’s "Pueblo Pottery Families", Indian Market Magazine (1978) and SWAIA Quarterly Magazine (1982).

Roll your cursor over images to see another image of each piece.

•  Click here to see more Santa Clara Pueblo pottery •