Eudora Montoya Santa Ana Pueblo Jar with Traditional Designs [SOLD]

This is a stunning and extremely well-made, medium-sized jar by revered potter from Santa Ana Pueblo, Eudora Montoya. She was a particularly significant potter because by the 1970s, she was really the only potter remaining at Santa Ana. Her work is cherished throughout the world of pueblo pottery and is especially respected due to her single-handedly keeping the tradition alive at Santa Ana Pueblo.

This pot was made in 1988 and features an orange base underneath a tan slip, which is covered in the middle with an intricate and symbolic composition, likely representing sacred elements of Santa Ana Pueblo. The painted designs are orange and black in color, and repeat twice around the jar. Orange and black is a typical coloration motif for pueblo pottery, as the orange and reddish tones are standard clay colors, and the black comes from boiling the Rocky Mountain Bee Plant which is so often used to color the pottery.

Some of the patterns on the jar include checkerboard, floral, striped, and triangular. Above the midpoint of the jar, there is another row of two repeating designs. Atop this row is a strip of two lines near the rim of the jar, and then one around the very top of the rim. These lines all include a ceremonial line break. This pattern of two lines, followed by one around the top, is a common pattern for Montoya.

Included with the jar are various photographs and articles about Montoya, including one from the Santa Fe Indian Market in 1988, in which she is pictured holding this very jar. One can learn a lot more about Montoya in the included literature, much more than in this short write-up!

The bottom of the jar is signed Eudora Montoya, Santa Ana Pueblo 8/20/88.

Eudora Montoya (1905-1996) is the most well recognized potter from Santa Ana Pueblo. She singly revived pottery production at the pueblo in the 1970s by teaching classes to a group of 18 women. This revival spurred interest in Santa Ana contemporary pottery but that did not last long because most of the new potters did not continue production. Once again, pottery from Santa Ana faded into history. One of Montoya's former students—Elvira S. Montoya—instituted another revival in 1994, a revival that is still surviving, but barely. At this time there are only three active potters at Santa Ana, one of whom is from Zia Pueblo and produces pottery more like that from Zia than from Santa Ana, so, effectively, there are only two Santa Ana potters producing today.

Condition: good condition

Provenance: this Eudora Montoya Santa Ana Pueblo Jar with Traditional Designs is from the collection of John Barry, former author and dealer of pueblo pottery

Recommended Reading: The Pottery of Santa Ana Pueblo by Francis H. Harlow and Dwight P. Lanmon

TAGS: Santa Ana Pueblo, Southwest Indian Pottery, Eudora Montoya