Paul and Dorothy Gutierrez 17-piece Nacimiento

This polished and matte black nacimiento by Paul and Dorothy Gutierrez of Santa Clara Pueblo has seventeen individual pieces. There is The Holy Family; two angels; three Kings - one of which carries a gift of a pottery bowl, one a gift of a wedding vase, and one a gift of two ears of corn; three shepherds - each carrying a staff; three donkeys for the three Kings, two sheep, and a cow. The figures are stone polished with some areas left in matte state.

Paul and Dorothy Gutierrez are a husband-and-wife pottery making team living at Santa Clara Pueblo. They are specialists at making figurative pottery. Dorothy models the clay and Paul does the sanding and polishing. Paul is the grandson of Lela and Van Gutierrez and the son of Luther Gutierrez, (of Margaret & Luther fame), all of Santa Clara Pueblo.

Dorothy is Diné and has been an active potter since the 1970s. When she first began making her clay figures in 1971, she had expert instructions from Margaret Gutierrez, Paul's aunt. "During her first year Dorothy made ten Nativity sets, along with many miniature buffaloes, beavers, bears, and wedding vases. Since 1972, when she began entering her work in competitions, she has been winning awards at all the major shows in the Southwest. In 1975 her seventeen-piece blackware Nativity won First Prize in sculpture at the fall Indian crafts show at the Deer Dancer Gallery in Denver. At the 1976 show, one of her miniatures redware Nativities took Best of Show in the contemporary category, and she has won the top awards every year since." [Monthan,1979:67]

Condition: original condition

Provenance: this Paul and Dorothy Gutierrez 17-piece Nacimiento is from the collection of a client from Illinois

Reference: Monthan, Guy and Doris. Nacimientos: Nativity Scenes by Southwest Indian Artisans

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo, Lela and Van Gutierrez, Luther Gutierrez, figurative pottery, Paul and Dorothy Gutierrez