A Five-piece Pottery Nacimiento from Nambe Pueblo [SOLD]

Marie Herrera is the only artisan from Nambe Pueblo credited in the book Nacimientos for making nativity sets at the time the book was published in 1979.  The authors stated “Marie Herrera does different styles but is perhaps best known for her micaceous clay figures on which she uses a minimum of detailing, just a touch to delineate eyes and mouths.  The figures are large and rather primitive, but the faces have great character and, as one expert notes: ‘They have a very definite folk art feeling.’”

In this five-piece set, there is the Holy Family and two animals.  Joseph is the largest figure and he wears a blanket over his left shoulder which is painted with micaceous clay and three stripes—black, white and red.  Mary wears a shawl over her head that is painted with micaceous clay.  Baby Jesús rests in a micaceous-painted cradle board.  The sheep and donkey are fully made from micaceous clay.

Condition: very good condition with a small abrasion on Joseph’s head

Provenance:  from the collection of a family from Illinois which is downsizing considerably from a large house to a small condominium and finds it necessary to sell some of their cherished collection of pueblo pottery

Recommended Reading:  Nacimientos—Nativity Scenes by Southwest Indian Artisans by Guy and Doris Monthan