Large Storage Jar with Birds and Flowers by Santana Melchor and Crucita Melchor

This large storage jar by Santana Melchor and Crucita Melchor features alternating bird and flower motifs. The body of the jar is painted with a cream slip. The design is painted with black pigment, with the same light brown slip used for the interior also coloring the details and the bottom of the jar. The design includes three large birds, likely turkeys as suggested by the turkey tracks on the bottom, with floral elements interspersed between them. The jar is signed by Santana Melchor and Crucita Melchor Santo Domingo.

Santana Melchor (1889-1978) was one of the finest potters at Kewa Pueblo (formerly Santo Domingo) in the early and mid-20th century. Known for creating exceptionally large storage jars, she played a crucial role in preserving traditional pottery designs. Her dedication to traditional techniques kept the cultural heritage alive. In 1974, she was part of a delegation of pueblo potters invited to the White House by First Lady Pat Nixon. Santana Melchor is the mother of Crucita Melchor, Ray Melchor, and Dolorita Melchor.

Crucita Melchor was born around 1932 at Kewa Pueblo (formerly Santo Domingo). She came from a lineage of skilled potters, learning the art from her mother, Santana Melchor, and her maternal grandmother, Maria Garcia. Her siblings, Dolorita and Ray Melchor, were also part of this rich artistic tradition. From a young age, Crucita honed her pottery skills, eventually becoming active in the marketplace in her late teens, specializing in polychrome bowls, jars, and ollas. Her talent earned recognition in the 1970s with several ribbons for her work. In 1977, she was among the artists featured at the Smithsonian Institution's Lifestyle Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Later, in 1999, she was honored as the Focus Artist of the Santa Fe Indian Market magazine, further solidifying her legacy as an influential Kewa potter.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Large Storage Jar with Birds and Flowers by Santana Melchor and Crucita Melchor was originally from the collection of Richard M. Howard, now from the estate of a Santa Fe resident

Recommended Reading: 

- A River Apart: The Pottery of Cochiti & Santo Domingo Pueblos by Valerie Verzuh, et al.

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

TAGS: Kewa Pueblo - Santo Domingo, Crucita Melchor, Dolorita Melchor, Santana Melchor