Laguna Pueblo Bird Pottery By Michael Kanteena; Anasazi Revival

Late 20th Century
Size 1.375" H x 3" L x 1" W
Small White Clay Bird Seed Pot with Painted Geometric Design
From a Private Colorado Collection
Excellent Condition
Michael Kanteena, a renowned potter from Laguna Pueblo was born September 1, 1959, is a distinguished potter from Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico. He specializes in creating pottery inspired by Ancestral Puebloan styles, particularly from Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde, as well as Mimbres and ancient Mexican clay forms. His work often replicates historic and prehistoric designs, including animal and human effigies, and pieces inspired by kachina dolls and masks. Kanteena’s pottery is hand-coiled, fired twice (first in a kiln for strength, then outdoors for an “ancient” look), and is often indistinguishable from artifacts made centuries ago. His pieces are displayed in prestigious venues like the Maxwell Museum in Albuquerque, the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, and the annual Santa Fe Indian Market. Kanteena, son of Wallace and Rosemary Kanteena, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Eastern New Mexico University in 1981. He has received accolades such as the 1998 Wingspread Collector’s Guide Award of Excellence and first place at the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial. He lives and works in Laguna, NM, and has taught pottery-making at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Colorado.
Michael Kanteena, a potter from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, is renowned for his Anasazi revival pottery, which meticulously recreates the aesthetic and techniques of ancient Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi), Mimbres, and other prehistoric Southwest cultures. Born in 1959, Kanteena graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from Eastern New Mexico University in 1981. His passion for his ancestral roots, particularly tied to Chaco Canyon, led him to study archaeological pottery forms through catalogs, consultations with archaeologists, and extensive trial and error. His work, which began evolving in the 1990s, focuses on recreating Chacoan and Mesa Verde pottery styles, often indistinguishable from artifacts made centuries ago.
Kanteena’s pottery is characterized by traditional hand-coiling techniques using native Laguna clay, fired twice to achieve the classic black-on-white "Cibola-Revival" style, reminiscent of early Southwest pottery. His pieces often feature intricate geometric designs, animal and human effigies, and influences from Mimbres, Hopi, and ancient Mexican Indian clay forms. Notable works include bird effigy pots, polychrome prayer bowls, and canteens with animal motifs like frogs or bighorn rams, often decorated with Chacoan or Mimbres-inspired patterns.