Acoma Pueblo

Acoma is best known for white-slipped ware decorated with black or black and orange designs and a red/orange base with a concave bottom. The shape of the base is a holdover from times when the women carried large ollas on their heads to transport water and grain. Acoma pottery is some of the thinnest of all the southwest pottery, yet quite hard and durable.

In the 1950s, Lucy Lewis and Marie Z. Chino began adapting historic designs which began a renewal of quality and creativity for Acoma pottery. Traditional Acoma designs have repeating geometric patterns and fine line details. Many potters do fine-line “optical illusion” or “eye dazzler” designs adapted to the shape of the vessel. Other traditional designs include parrots, plants and deer. Many Acoma potters have used greenware, unfired and undecorated pottery, and then just painted and fired the vessels in electric kilns. This pottery is obviously less valuable than the ones made by families that still use the traditional method of hand-coiling, shaping, painting and firing outside. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference, but usually the hand-made ones reveal slight irregularities in the clay on the inside. It is best to buy from a reputable dealer to ensure that you are getting what you pay for.

Acoma pottery was the first pottery to really catch our eye. It is what most people consider Indian pottery because of the traditional style of the large ollas. Our first purchase was the Dora Antonio polychrome olla in 1998 in Chimayo. We have recently been intrigued by the creativity and patience required to create the eye dazzler designs by artists such as Frederico Antonio, Rebecca Lucario and Dorothy Torivio. We really like the large traditional polychrome ollas created by Barbara and Joseph Cerno, but the price range of their pieces has increased tremendously over the past few years. Debbie Brown, Carolyn Concho, Diane and Judy Lewis, the Aragons and Sandra Victorino also create beautiful pottery from Acoma.

Personal Collection

Large polychrome olla	Artist: Dora Antonio Size: 9" high x 11" diameter This was the first pueblo pottery that George and I ever purchased. We had been looking at pottery over the years on our visits to Santa Fe, but didn’t get hooked for a few years. In 1997 we remodeled our master bedroom to create a display shelf for large pueblo pottery. In 1998 we purchased this olla at the Ortiz Gallery in Chimayo, NM. We really liked the traditional design and colors, especially the feathers around the rim, the geometric pattern and the fact that the pot was so thin and light-weight, yet so perfectly shaped. We still enjoy looking at this very traditional olla.
Black on white "eye-dazzler" jar	Artist: Frederica V. Antonio Size: 4" high x 5" diameter Frederica Antonio was born in the Acoma Pueblo in 1968. Frederica was inspired to continue the long family tradition of making pottery by her mother-in-law, Mildred Antonio. Frederica developed her interest in pottery by watching Mildred hand coil her pots, and then at the age of 18, she began making them herself. Frederica specializes in contemporary hand coiled pottery that is incredibly thin walled with intricate eye dazzler patterns. She makes a brush from the stems of a yucca plant to paint her amazing designs. She paints in various shades of black and grey adding a three dimensional look to her pots. She hand coils every pot, and each piece is a one of a kind work of art. She signs her masterpieces as "F.V. Antonio, Acoma NM". This is a very good example of an eye-dazzler design. George picked this one due to its "technical" nature. The small geometric pattern is a real testament to the artist's skill and patience. We liked the way the two patterns overlap and interweave to create an even more complicated pattern.
Polychrome owl	Artist: Hilda Antonio Size: 4.25” high x 4" diameter Hilda Antonio was born in the Acoma Pueblo, roadrunner clan, in 1968. She is the daughter of Eva Histia and the neice of Lucy Lewis. Hilda is known for her traditional polychrome jars, bowls, storytellers and especially her storyteller owls. She signs her pottery H. Antonio, Acoma NM. I loved this little pot since it is so traditionally Acoma and Hilda. Also, according to Acoma lore the owl is good luck to have in your house.
Polychrome seed pot	Artist: Carolyn Concho Size: 3" high x 3" diameter
Large polychrome olla	Artist: Ophelia S. Leon Size: 11" high x 12" diameter Ophelia Leon was born in the Acoma pueblo in 1966 and learned the art of pottery making from her mother, Ruby Shroulote. Ophelia has worked with both ceramic and traditional pottery for more than 23 years. We purchased this large polychrome olla to put on our display shelf with our other large Dora Antonio olla from Acoma. We liked the large fan design along with the other geometric patterns on this olla.
Polychrome parrot seed pot	Artist: Diane Lewis Size: 1.5" high x 4" diameter
Polychrome seed pot	Artist: Rebecca Lucario Size: 2.25" high x 3.75" diameter Rebecca Lucario was born in 1951 in Acoma, yellow corn clan, and has been actively making pottery since 1965. Her teacher was her grandmother Dolores S. Sanchez. Rebecca has been winning awards at Indian Markets since 1983 and is considered one of the top pueblo potters. She is best known for two styles, Mimbres Revival style pottery with animal designs and her optical eye-dazzler pots or chargers. Rebecca signs her creations with R. Lucario. Her sisters, Diane and Judy Lewis and Carolyn Concho also create pottery at Acoma. We found this pot for sale at a gallery in Cheyenne that had just purchased a lot of Native American art in an estate sale. We liked the combination of the Mimbres style turtle with fine line accents. It is perfectly symmetrical seed pot with exceptional design work.
Polychrome seed jar	Artist: Dorothy Torivio Size: 4.5" high x 7" diameter Dorothy Torivio was born in 1946 at Acoma Pueblo and has been a recognized potter since 1975. She is considered one of the most innovative abstract designers of pueblo pottery. She covers her vessels with black and white or polychrome patterns of staggering intricacy, painted freehand with computer-like precision. She is able to integrate her shapes to accentuate the eye dazzling designs and change size of the design with the shape of the pot.  Dorothy uses chewed yucca stalk that she makes into a brush for painting and paints the black on a white background which is the reverse of the look of the pot. This vase has Dorothy’s classic "Diamond Star Pattern." The center of this polychrome design is a four-pointed star with a cross. As the vase “stretches” from bottom to top, it looks as though it expands and contracts in perfect geometry. We have looked at a lot of Dorothy’s pottery and just loved this one because the low broad proportions really accentuated the stretching and contracting of the design.