Laguna Pueblo Ram Pottery By Michael Kanteena

Late 20th/Early 21st Century
Size 3.5" H x 3.875" L x 3" D

White Slate Like Clay with Hand Painted Grey Geometric Patterns, a Ram Head with two Horns and a Larger Horn as a Handle
From a Private Colorado Collection
Excellent Condition

Michael Kanteena (born September 1, 1959) is an acclaimed Native American potter from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, known for his innovative recreations of ancient Ancestral Puebloan styles blended with contemporary elements. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Eastern New Mexico University in 1981 and has since dedicated his career to pottery inspired by prehistoric cultures such as those from Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, Mimbres, and ancient Mexican influences. His work often features animal effigies, geometric designs, fine lines, and motifs like rain, feathers, and birds, fired in traditional black-on-white or polychrome styles to evoke the "Cibola-Revival" aesthetic common in early Southwestern pottery. Kanteena's pieces are distinctive for merging old and new cultural elements, and his pottery has been exhibited at institutions like the Maxwell Museum in Albuquerque and the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe. He has also taught pottery-making at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Colorado. Although he recently relocated to Arizona, he continues to source clay from Laguna Pueblo.
Laguna Pueblo pottery, including Kanteena's, is typically thin-walled with a white slip base, similar to neighboring Acoma Pueblo styles, and incorporates designs representing natural elements like animals and geometric patterns. The tradition was revived in the 1970s after a period of decline, and Kanteena is one of the most noted contemporary Laguna potters, alongside artists like Max Early Jr. and Robert Kasero.
Kanteena frequently incorporates rams (often bighorn sheep) into his designs, symbolizing strength and the rugged Southwestern landscape. These motifs draw from ancient Puebloan and Mimbres influences, where animals were central to storytelling and daily life. His ram pottery often appears in functional forms like mugs, canteens, and effigies, with sculpted heads, painted bodies featuring fine-line geometrics, and sometimes polychrome accents for a vibrant, historical revival look.