San Ildefonso Pueblo Black-on-red Pottery Jar by Tonita Martinez Roybal [SOLD]

San Ildefonso Black-on-red pottery was made concurrent with San Ildefonso Polychrome until around 1920. (Harlow, Francis. Modern Pueblo Pottery 1880-1960).  Principally, the Black-on-red was made by Dominguita Pino and her daughter, Tonita Roybal.  In this type, the design was painted on in black guaco over a completely red slip. A photograph by Parkhurst in 1925 of Juan Cruz Roybal and Tonita Roybal shows an abundance of blackware pottery and no Black-on-red, another indication that the redware period was over for this potter.

Tonita Roybal has been acclaimed one of the finest potters of the twentieth century. She was a contemporary of Maria Martinez and sometimes collaborated with her. Roybal, in her early years, not only made all her own pottery, she decorated it as well. Only after she married Juan Cruz Roybal in 1916, did she have someone else paint pottery for her. After 1930, her husband painted most of the pottery.  Had Tonita not died in 1945, just as pueblo pottery was beginning to be seriously considered by collectors, she certainly would have been as famous as Maria Martinez, as both were of equal talent.

Tonita Roybal was an expert in shaping vessels. This jar with a rounded lower body and in-sloping upper body is one of the shapes she produced so beautifully. Her expertise in painting is quite evident in the absolute clean lines and consistent thickness of the application of the black guaco.

The jar is signed on the underside Tonita.

Condition: this San Ildefonso Pueblo Black-on-red Pottery Jar by Tonita Martinez Roybal is in very good condition

Provenance: A paper label attached states: American Indian Culture Research Center, Marvin, South Dakota 57251. 00256.

Reference: Harlow, Francis. Modern Pueblo Pottery 1880-1960