Historic San Ildefonso Pueblo Polychrome Olla [SOLD]

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 has well documented, there were several outstanding potters at San Ildefonso 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 19^th and early 20^th 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. 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.

To illustrate, the kite-like figures around the neck of this jar have a complement in the jar featured on page 44 and the feather-like or fan-like elements surrounding the body resemble those in the jar on page 47. Overall, the boldness of the painted designs is typical of their work as well. 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.

The jar contains the rag-wiped Cochiti slip that was introduced to San Ildefonso by Martina and Florentino in the early 1900s, before they moved permanently to Cochiti around 1905. Most potters at San Ildefonso adopted the new slip immediately, but some continued using the old San Ildefonso slip that required stone polishing.

Condition: One small abrasion near the rim was professionally fixed but it was insignificant.

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

Condition: One small abrasion near the rim was professionally restored but it was an insignificant restoration and is not noticeable.