Cochiti Pueblo Two-Headed Figurine [SOLD]

This two-headed figure was created by Cochiti Pueblo artist Juanita Inez Ortiz. This piece honors Cochiti's longstanding tradition of figurative pottery making, but stylistically, it's quite modern. This example of Inez Ortiz' work could stand comfortably beside a piece by her brother, Virgil. With their open mouths and wide eyes, these faces command attention. The five-sided stars that serve as hands are similarly eye-catching. Inez Ortiz' work with this piece is strong.

This piece uses the black-on-cream style that has been practiced at Cochiti Pueblo for centuries. The black pigment is made from wild spinach, using a painstaking and time-consuming process that requires many hands and many months to complete. The clay, of course, is also gathered and prepared by the artists and their families, in a separate process that also demands much time and effort.

The figurine's left foot is signed I. Ortiz, Cochiti.

Cochiti Pueblo potter Juanita Inez Ortiz (1960 -2008) Mapuwana - Wild Rose learned pottery making from her mother, Seferina, and her grandmother, Laurencita Herrera. It is traditional for pueblo potters to teach their children the art of pottery making starting at an early age. Inez' siblings, all of whom are potters, are Virgil, Joyce, and Janice. She is the mother of Lisa Holt. Inez has received notable awards from Santa Fe Indian Market and other exhibitions.

Condition: excellent condition, one broken finger was repaired by a professional restoration artist

Provenance: this Cochiti Pueblo Two-Headed Figurine is from a private California collection

References:

- Southern Pueblo Pottery: 2,000 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf

- Fourteen Families In Pueblo Pottery, by Rick Dillingham

TAGS: Cochiti Pueblo, pottery making, Seferina Ortiz, Laurencita Herrera, Virgil Ortiz, Lisa Holt, Juanita Inez Ortiz