The Pueblos of San Ildefonso and Santa Clara: A Ceramic Legacy

Julian Martinez, husband of skilled San Ildefonso potter Maria Martinez, was working for Dr. Hewett at the time. Dr. Hewett asked if Maria could make pottery similar to the newly discovered sherds.

After much trial and error, Maria successfully created black pottery that looked just like the excavated sherds.

Since Maria’s first experimentations more than 100 years ago, the polished black pottery from San Ildefonso and Santa Clara has become some of the most recognized Native American pottery in the world.

Many steps are required to create the polished solid black pottery.

The clay must be dug from the ground and prepared before it can be made into pots.

The artist must add “temper”—fine sand, ground rock, or ground potsherds—to the clay. This is important so the clay will be strong enough to shape and not crack as it dries.

The pots are formed using the “coil and scrape” method. The artist will wrap and stack long coils of clay, and then smooth them on the inside and outside to form the pot.

While the clay is still damp, the artist may carve or paint decorative designs onto its surface.

The firing technique used by San Ildefonso and Santa Clara potters is called a reduction firing. It is done above ground with the pots placed on a metal grate or in metal containers to protect the pots. Wood and dried manure are then placed on top.

The pile of fuel is lit and allowed to collapse onto the pottery. This smothers the pots, reducing the available oxygen. The last step is to add powdered manure to the fire. This suffocates the fire even more, which creates the solid black pottery while retaining the high polish and slip design.

Maria exhibited extensively, including in numerous World’s Fairs, presenting her pottery to a wide audience.

Today, the pottery of Maria Martinez is in museums and private collections worldwide.

At the age of three, Blue Corn (1920–1999), also known as Crucita Gonzalez Calabaza, learned pottery-making from her grandmother. Blue Corn experimented with a variety of clays and colors. Her husband Santiago, and son Joseph, worked with her, helping to carve and paint her pottery creations.

Blue Corn won more than 60 awards, and in 1981, was honored with New Mexico’s greatest recognition for artistic achievement: the 8th Annual New Mexico Governor's Award.

Helen Gutiérrez (1930–1993), is known for her classic designs. This jar shows a bear paw detailed in polished black and flat black slip.

Helen received honors at the Santa Fe Indian Market. Her pottery may also be found in the collections of the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, New Mexico.

Her sister Angelita Atencio Sanchez, and her daughters Carol Gutiérrez and Kathy Naranjo Gutiérrez, are all well-known ceramic artists.

Margaret Tafoya, also known by the Tewa name Corn Blossom, learned to make pottery from her mother. A contemporary of Maria Martinez, Margaret Tafoya is credited with teaching polishing techniques to Ms. Martinez.

She is recognized for making finely polished pots with graceful carved designs. Avanyu, carved on this jar, and bear paws, are a common motif.

Margaret received many honors, including the 1978 and 1979 awards for “Best of Show” at the Santa Fe Indian Market, and the 1984 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Margaret Tafoya is recognized as a Master Traditional Artist and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Women's Caucus for Art in 1992.

Margie Naranjo (1917–2006) comes from the large Naranjo family of Santa Clara potters. Her mother, Santanita Suazo, taught Margie how to make pottery. Her sisters Shirley Duran, Mae Suazo Tapia, and Candelaria Suazo, are also well-known potters.

Margie is recognized for detailed miniature polished back pots with finely detailed designs, like the feather design shown here.

Geraldine “Geri” Naranjo (b. 1952) is known for her miniature carved pots.

This small jar depicts Avanyu.

Geri won three Best of Division awards for her miniatures at the Santa Fe Indian Market.

Lorencita Pino (1899–1986) lived at at the Pueblo of Tesuque, located thirty miles south of Santa Clara.

This double-spout wedding vase is a popular pueblo vessel form. The spouts symbolize the individual bride and groom and the handle above represents their union in marriage. The design detail is painted in black slip on the polished surface.

This pot with a carved design is made by Aurelia Garcia Garduño from the Pueblo of Nambe. It is similar to pottery from Santa Clara, located about 15 miles northwest of Nambe.

The Pueblo of Pojoaque, ten miles south of Santa Clara Pueblo, was home to artist Cordelia (Cordi) Gomez (1929–2017).

She learned to make pottery from Santa Clara artist Rose Naranjo. Cordi is known for decorating her pottery by making fingernail marks in wet clay. This technique is used here for the eye detail.

The art of Cordi Gomez is also in the collection of the National Museum of the American Indian.

The pottery of Pojoaque shows influence from Santa Clara and San Ildefonso artists, as seen in this polished red pot by Feliciana Viarrial.

For more than 100 years, the artists of San Ildefonso and Santa Clara Pueblos have created works of clay that inspire students, potters, and collectors from all over the world.

The tradition of passing pottery skills from parent to child, and among other family members, maintains this legacy as a vital part of life in these pueblo communities, as generations of potters learn from the past and explore creative expression for the future.