Santo Domingo Pueblo Pottery By Thomas Tenorio

Late 20th Century

2.625" H x 2" D

Hand Coiled from Local Clay with Painted Bird and Flower Motifs in Black and Red Colors

From a Private Colorado Collection

Excellent Condition

Thomas Tenorio (born 1963, traditional name U-Nah-Thee-Wah) is a renowned potter from Kewa Pueblo (formerly known as Santo Domingo Pueblo). He is a self-taught artist who began creating pottery in the early 1990s to help revive and preserve the traditional pottery-making techniques of his pueblo, which he felt were fading. Inspired by discovering that his maternal great-grandmother made traditional pots in the 1940s, Tenorio draws heavily from historical designs documented in Kenneth Chapman's book The Pottery of Santo Domingo Pueblo. He gathers natural clays and pigments locally (such as boiled wild spinach plant for black paint), hand-coils vessels, paints with yucca brushes, and fires outdoors in the ancient method—all without modern tools or kilns. His work stays rooted in traditional Kewa/Santo Domingo style—typically polychrome (cream base with black and red accents) featuring bold geometric patterns, birds, flowers, butterflies, and occasional fish or river motifs. He often incorporates contemporary touches like new colors, cut-outs, or innovative shapes while maintaining cultural integrity. Pieces range from small vessels to very large jars, cylinders, and bowls (some over 30 inches tall), and he signs them "Thomas Tenorio, Kewa, NM" (often with the year).