Not all Maria Martinez pottery is black-on-black When you hear the name Maria Martinez, one automatically envisions the wonderful black on black pottery for which she and her husband Julian became famous. For the serious Maria collector however, the rarest and most desirable of all Maria’s work are her polychrome pots. The term polychrome refers […]
Maria and Julian Martinez polychrome pottery Read Post »
Learn about the exquisite pottery of this Northern New Mexico pueblo The ancestors of the modern Santa Clara Pueblo people first carved cave-like dwellings in the soft volcanic tufa cliffs-the Puye Cliff Dwellings in Santa Clara Canyon. Later, they built adobe structures on the slopes and top of the mesa, surrounded by spectacular views of
Learn about Santa Clara Pueblo Read Post »
Expert tips on starting and maintaining your collection of American Indian jewelry by Dr. Mark Sublette, owner of Medicine Man Gallery The use of turquoise has been around the southwest since prehistoric times. A brief historical recap The Anasazi used turquoise and shell to make beaded necklaces, bracelets, earrings as well as decorate effigies. Using
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The gift of Spider Woman: Symbols and motifs in Navajo weavings by Jerry Freund For the traditional Navajo family, the Holy People who created the Navajo were very powerful deities. They traveled on the “sun’s rays” and descended into the world on “lightning bolts.” It was Changing Woman who taught the Navajo how to live
Symbols and motifs in Navajo weaving Read Post »
Learn about this unusual form of Navajo weaving Saddle blankets occupy a curious niche in the history of Navajo weaving. They are the only type of textile that were simultaneously popular among Anglos, Hispanics and the Navajo themselves. Consequently saddle blankets have an aesthetic and technical history very different from that of the ubiquitous Navajo
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A conversation about collecting historic pueblo pottery With Michael Ettema, Ex-Director of the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona and Dr. Mark Sublette, President / CEO of Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery Ettema: How did you become a Pueblo pottery dealer and how long have you been in business? Sublette: Growing up in New