Candelaria Montaño [1900–1985]

San Felipe Pueblo lies along the Rio Grande between Santa Fe and Albuquerque close to two other Keres language speaking pueblos—Cochiti and Kewa (Santo Domingo).  Although of the same language group, the pottery of San Felipe was not similar to that from its neighbors.  The San Felipe Indians are descendant from ancestral homes in the cliffs of the Jemez Mountains where traditionally the pottery was painted with glazing materials.

After the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, and the re-conquest by De Vargas in 1692, things changed for many of the pueblos.  Populations were uprooted and moved about and intermingled from the chaos.  San Felipe Pueblo ceased entirely making decorated pottery.  It was not until the 20th century when that was revived.  A lone potter—Candelaria Montaño—revived painted pottery production at the pueblo possibly as early as the 1950s.  It is not known what she used as guidance for designs since there were none to use as models.  Following her death around 1985, no other potter followed in her pursuits.

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