Mohave Effigy Frog Pottery By Elmer Gates

ca. 1972

4.25" H x 4.5" L x 4.25" W

Redware Clay Frog with Open Slit for a mouth and Painted Red Geometric Designs Signed E. Gates on Bottom 

Excellent Condition

Elmer Gates (1929–1990) was a renowned Mojave (also spelled Mohave) potter from the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation in Poston, Arizona. Traditionally, Mojave pottery was a women's craft, but Gates was a notable exception—a man who learned the techniques from his aunt and became one of the tribe's most innovative artists. He studied various Southwestern pottery styles, experimented with shapes, motifs, and firing methods, and elevated Mojave ceramics from utilitarian, primitive wares to refined, collectible art forms. His work is featured in museums like the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico and galleries such as the Adobe Gallery in Santa Fe.

Provenance:  From the Len and Toni Wood Private Collection, Laguna Beach, California