San Ildefonso Pueblo Polychrome Wedding Vessel [SOLD]

As Jonathan Batkin has well documented, there were several outstanding potters at San Ildefonso during the 1890s whose work can fairly accurately be associated with their names. Following publication of Batkin's studies, it has become easier today to identify late 19th and early 20th century pottery to artists with some degree of accuracy, or so we hope. One husband and wife team, who were extraordinary artisans, was Martina Vigil and Florentino Montoya.

Martina and Florentino have been praised as among the finest artisans at San Ildefonso. Batkin has illustrated a couple of their works in his book Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700-1940. It is based on photos in his book that one can identify pottery most likely made by them.  This wedding vase is certainly their creation.  The style and boldness of the design are quite comparable to those pictured in Batkin's book.

This wedding vessel contains rag-wiped Cochiti slip that was introduced to San Ildefonso by Martina and Florentino in the early 1900s, before they moved permanently to Cochiti around 1905. Most potters at San Ildefonso adopted the new slip immediately, but some continued using the old San Ildefonso slip that required stone polishing.  This vessel dates to circa 1910.

Condition:  very good condition

Provenance:  the current owner purchased this vessel from Medicine Man Gallery in Santa Fe in 2004 and was provided a certificate attributing it to Martina and Florentino.  The certificate accompanies the purchase.

Recommended Reading:  Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700-1940 by Jonathan Batkin