Polychrome Bowl with Cloud Design [SOLD]

Lucy Lewis was one of the most widely respected potters from her pueblo. She was the last of the Acoma matriarchs. She followed pueblo tradition in every step of pottery production—offering prayers of thanks to Mother Earth for the clay, taking only as much clay as she needed, working the clay with only her hands, forming the vessel from coils of clay, scraping the walls with tools fashioned from gourds, painting the vessel with slips and paints made from clay and vegetal sources and, finally, firing the finished pieces in an outdoor handmade kiln.

This lovely bowl was made in this manner. It is well balanced and symmetrical, beautifully polished to a warm velvety finish and painted in a simple and carefully executed design. It most probably dates to the 1960s based on the outstanding workmanship.

UPDATE: Emma Lewis Mitchell and Dolores Lewis Garcia, both daughters of Lucy Lewis, visited Adobe Gallery on 9 September 2008 as part of a small group of potters. When shown this bowl, both held it and rubbed it and commented on how it felt. One person of the group photographed each daughter holding the bowl. It was a special moment to see how they revered their mother’s work.

Item Provenance:
This item was presented in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center's special exhibit “TIMELESS BEAUTY” in Albuquerque, New Mexico, January-August 2008. This exhibition celebrated the achievements and impact made by some of the most renowned Pueblo women artists on the preservation, exposure, and development of the indigenous and contemporary art forms of Pueblo people. Curated by the IPCC in collaboration with Santa Fe-based Adobe Gallery and the School for Advanced Research, “TIMELESS BEAUTY” showcased a collaborative collection of artwork created by these influential women.