Stone Polished and Carved Red Jar [SOLD]

Rose Gonzales was born at Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan) Pueblo in 1900 and, soon after, became an orphan when her parents died from the flu epidemic.  She and her sister survived by boarding at the Santa Fe Indian School.  She married Robert Gonzales of San Ildefonso Pueblo and moved to his pueblo at that time.  She learned the art of pottery making from his mother. 

Rose experimented for years with black, red, black-on-black and carved pottery styles.  She became very proficient at all of these.  She is credited with introducing carved pottery to  San Ildefonso, a pueblo where painted, not carved, pottery was traditional. 

This red jar is carved with a rain cloud design that is polished and backed with a matte red slip.  The jar is signed Rose. 

Condition:  original excellent condition.

Recommended Reading: There is ample biographical information on Rose Gonzales in Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies by Greg Schaaf.  CIAC.  2000.

Provenance: from the collection of a family from Oregon who purchased it in the 1980s