Beautifully Understated Micaceous Clay Bowl by Virginia Romero [SOLD]

This beautifully understated micaceous clay bowl, featuring a striking fire cloud, highlights the subtlety of the pottery artform. Its form, slightly irregular but not imperfect, boasts a sharp curve at the midpoint and an inward-curling rim, giving it a strong and distinctive shape.

The decorative elements are subtle and appealing. The natural sparkle of the micaceous clay provides a consistent glow, enhanced by contrasting tones at the bottom from subtle fire clouds. Romero impressed a series of pronged marks, resembling animal tracks, in a line circling just below the rim. These design choices are subtle, created by modifying the clay itself rather than adding additional materials.

The bottom of the bowl is signed 1981 Virginia T. Romero, Taos NM.

Virginia T. Romero (1898-1998), also known as Pop Tő (Flower House), was a distinguished Taos Pueblo potter dedicated to preserving the Taos Pueblo micaceous pottery tradition. A student at the Santa Fe Indian School in the early 1900s, Romero began her pottery career in 1919 and continued her craft until her passing in 1998 at the age of 100. Her work is celebrated and included in many prominent museum collections. Romero's cultural contributions have been honored by the Millicent Rogers Museum and the State of New Mexico.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Beautifully Understated Micaceous Clay Bowl by Virginia Romero is from the estate of a Santa Fe resident

Recommended Reading: All That Glitters: The Emergence of Native American Micaceous Art Pottery in Northern New Mexico by Duane Anderson

TAGS: Taos Pueblo, Southwest Indian Pottery, Virginia Romero