Santa Clara Pueblo Pottery By Joseph Lonewolf

ca.  1983

1.875" H x 2" D

Hand Coiled Redware with Etched Sphere Seed Jar with Deer Buck Scenery Design

In Very Good Condition 

Joseph Lonewolf (1932–2014) was a renowned Santa Clara Pueblo potter, celebrated for revolutionizing Native American pottery with his intricate sgraffito and incised designs. Born to potters Camilio Sunflower Tafoya and Agapita Silva, Lonewolf learned traditional pottery techniques from his mother and carving from his father. His early exposure to petroglyphs during childhood outings with his father inspired his later work. After a career as a precision machinist in Colorado, a back injury led him back to Santa Clara in 1971, where he dedicated himself to pottery, mentored by his sister, Grace Medicine Flower.

Lonewolf’s work is distinguished by his mastery of sgraffito, a technique involving etching fine designs into the clay surface, often described as "pottery jewels" due to their delicate, cameo-like quality. His miniature seed pots, frequently featuring Mimbres-inspired motifs like animals, insects, and geometric patterns, are highly prized. He used Colorado clay slips to achieve varied colors and was known for one-of-a-kind designs, often incorporating traditional Santa Clara symbols like the avanyu (water serpent).