Santa Clara Pueblo Bird Figure Pottery By Dorothy and Paul

Late 20th Century

3.25" H x 1.75" L x 3.125" W

Black on Black Clay with Glossy Polished Finish on Back and Matte Finish in the Front

Excellent Condition

Dorothy and Paul Gutierrez were a renowned husband-and-wife team of potters from Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico, celebrated for their innovative figurative ceramics that blend traditional Pueblo techniques with storytelling elements. They specialized in hand-coiled, stone-polished blackware and redware pieces, often depicting animals, nativity scenes (nacimiento sets), storytellers, mudhead kachina figures, angels, and ornaments. Their work is characterized by a combination of matte and polished surfaces, creating depth and narrative detail in the clay. Dorothy handled the modeling and forming of the figures, while Paul focused on sanding, polishing, and finishing, resulting in pieces that earned them multiple awards at major Native American art markets.

Dorothy Gutierrez (née Pinto, b. 1940): Of Navajo (Diné) descent, born in Gallup, New Mexico. She grew up exposed to traditional crafts through her mother, an expert weaver of belts. Dorothy had no formal early training in pottery but began creating clay figures in 1971, mentored by Paul's aunt, Margaret Gutierrez (of the famous Margaret and Luther Gutierrez duo). She and Paul married in 1965 and raised two sons, Paul Jr. and Gary Gutierrez, both of whom also became potters.

Paul Gutierrez Sr. (b. 1936/1938 – d. 2017): A Tewa Pueblo Indian from Santa Clara Pueblo. He started working with clay around age 12, drawing from a family legacy of potters—his grandparents were Lela and Van Gutierrez, and his father was Luther Gutierrez. Paul was instrumental in pioneering nativity sets at Santa Clara, one of the first pueblos to produce them in ceramic form.