Large and Magnificent San Ildefonso Pueblo Polychrome Pottery Jar by Martina and Florentino Montoya [SOLD]

This Polychrome historic pottery jar from San Ildefonso Pueblo contains the rag-wiped Cochiti slip that was introduced to San Ildefonso Pueblo by Martina and Florentino in the early 1900s, before they moved permanently to Cochiti Pueblo around 1905. Most potters at San Ildefonso Pueblo adopted the new slip immediately, but some continued using the old San Ildefonso Pueblo slip that required stone polishing. This historic pottery jar also has a red rim of the style of those on Powhoge Polychrome from the 1890s.

San Ildefonso Polychrome typology gradually replaced its predecessor Powhoge Polychrome typology around the 1890s. There were several changes occurring during this transformation—red paint for designs was revived, vessel shape changed, and black rims replaced red ones. It was also during this time that potter’s names began to be associated with their work.

As Jonathan Batkin (see reference below) has well documented, there were several outstanding potters at San Ildefonso Pueblo during the 1890s whose work can fairly accurately be associated with their names. Following publication of Batkin’s studies, it has become easier today to identify late 19th and early 20th century pottery to artists with some degree of accuracy, or so we hope. One husband and wife team, who were extraordinary artisans, was Martina Vigil and Florentino Montoya.

Martina and Florentino have been praised as among the finest artisans at San Ildefonso Pueblo, Po-Woh-Geh-Owingeh, Where the Water Cuts Through. Batkin has illustrated a couple of their works in his book Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700-1940 (see below). It is based on photos in his book that we have chosen to state that this jar is quite likely made by them.

Overall, the boldness of the painted designs is typical of their work and the slight rounded neck of the jar, between the shoulder and rim, is typical of Martina as well as her mother’s pottery style.  One must remember that attribution to potters long deceased is a personal opinion of the one making the attribution and cannot be proven or disproven with assurance.

Condition: this Large and Magnificent San Ildefonso Pueblo Polychrome Pottery Jar by Martina and Florentino Montoya very good condition

Provenance: from a gentleman in Santa Fe

Recommended Reading: Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700-1940 by by Jonathan Batkin

Relative Links:  Jonathan Batkin, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Maria Martinez, pottery, Tonita Peña, Martina Vigil and Florentino Montoya, Southwest Indian Pottery, Cochiti Pueblo, Historic Pottery