Tonita Martinez Roybal (Tewa Indian of San Ildefonso Pueblo, 1892-1945). Blackware jar, n.d. Signed on underside of base. An attractive pottery jar made by renowned San Ildefonso artist Tonita Martinez Roybal, fired to a lustrous black hue with a band of matte decoration adorning the sloped shoulder. Minimalist in form, the vessel presents a rounded body with a planar base and inward curving rim. The horizontal register of matte decoration is comprised of 4 rectangular panels, each with an interlocking, geometric motif. Size: 8.5" Diameter x 6.6" H (21.6 cm x 16.8 cm)

San Ildefonso Pueblo artist Tonita Martinez Roybal, or Antonita, is acknowledged as one of the finest potters of the twentieth century. Had Maria Martinez not been accorded such fame, Roybal surely would have been. Her work was as fine as that of Maria. Additional to making the pottery, Roybal also painted it, something most potters left for their husbands or other relatives to do for them. Tonita learned to make pottery from her mother, Dominguita Pino Martinez (1860-1948). Her brother, Cresencio Martinez (1879-1918), married Maria's sister Anna Montoya. Tonita was also an aunt to Santana Roybal, who later married Maria's son Adam Martinez. Both Tonita and Juan were fascinated by pre-historic pottery. Those designs and their influences can often be seen in their work. After 1913 she began merging the layout of Nampeyo's Sikyatki Revival style with elements from Acoma and elsewhere. By 1925, Tonita was at the peak of her career, then she died an early death in 1945.

Please note this item may fall under the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act and may not be eligible for international shipping. Native American, Alaska Native, & Native Hawaiian objects are only eligible to ship within the United States.

Provenance: private British Columbia, Canada collection, gifted from aunt in Tucson, Arizona, USA, acquired prior to 1994

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#182471

Signed on underside of base. Some minor nicks and abrasions to surface as shown, but otherwise intact with an excellent presentation and good preservation of decorative program. Silvery iridescence to glaze.