Redware Feather Design Jar by Blue Corn [SOLD]

This jar was made by Crucita Gonzales Calabaza, or "Blue Corn," of San Ildefonso Pueblo. Blue Corn was one of the best and most versatile San Ildefonso potters. She created jars in the most conceivable shapes and sizes, as well as bowls, plates, pitchers, tiles, and ladles. The coloration of her works varies from black-on-black to buff-on-red, with polychrome or black-on-red pieces appearing occasionally.

This piece uses the traditional feather design in the buff-on-red style over a small vessel with an unusual and highly appealing shape. It's a wide form, with a low shoulder and a tall neck leading to an open rim. Blue Corn's greatest strength was her ability to create unique, inventive works that also respect tradition. This piece is a wonderful example of her doing exactly that.

The bottom of the jar is signed Blue Corn, San Ildefonso Pueblo.

Crucita Gonzales Calabaza (1921-1999) Blue Corn was born at San Ildefonso Pueblo. She was encouraged by her grandmother, at an early age, to "forget school and become a potter." She went on to become one of the greatest San Ildefonso Pueblo ceramicists. She made pottery for over 60 years, working in black, red, and polychrome, using a variety of forms. During World War II, she worked as a housekeeper for J. Robert Oppenheimer in Los Alamos. Blue Corn's house was located across the plaza from that of Maria Martinez, but there was no competition between the two artisans. Blue Corn was one of the most honored of twentieth century potters. She received the 1981 New Mexico Governor's Award—New Mexico's highest artistic award—and she was acclaimed for her artistic accomplishments in the Wall Street Journal and AMEPNKA, a Soviet Union journal. She won awards at State Fairs, Santa Fe Indian Market, and many other notable exhibitions.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Redware Feather Design Jar by Blue Corn is from a private collection of a client of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: Arizona Highways "Southwestern Pottery Today" Special Edition, May 1974

TAGS: Maria and Julian, San Ildefonso, Kewa Pueblo - Santo Domingo, Southwest Indian Pottery, Crucita Gonzales Calabaza - Blue Corn