he pueblo of Jemez is the remaining member of a third Tanoan subfamily, the Towa.  It is located on Jemez Creek, or the Rio Jemez, west of Santa Fe in the mountains of the Jemez Range.  The history of pottery at Jemez is one of absence and rebirth.  The pueblo abandoned their traditional fine-line, black-on-white designs, at the time of the Pueblo Rebellion which brought turmoil and dislocation.  It is rare to find a Jemez piece from Spanish times even in the better museums.  A handful of potters made an effort to revive traditional pottery in the 1920"s, but nothing came of it.  During the late 1960's, general interest in anything Indian picked up dramatically and the citizens of Jemez could see that higher-quality pottery was bringing much higher process.  Although the early improvements involved switching from acrylics and poster paint to greenware, other artists like Mary Small and Mary E. Toya became champions of traditionally coiled, well-made pottery. 

rom that point on and ever so slowly, families like the Fraguas, with transcendent skills and acceptance in the marketplace, provided the foundation for the emergence of fine Jemez pottery in hardly more than twenty years.  One has only to view the work of Glendora Daubs, Laura Gachupin, M.L.E. Teeyan, and many others to appreciate the depth and expanse of such artistic growth.

Item# 0044P Glendora Daubs, Jemez.

As the daughter of Juanita Fragua, Glendora is considered a leading influence of Jemez Pottery for the 1990's as well as being a member of the number one pottery family in Jemez Pueblo. Her piece is egg shaped pottery of beige color with incised design on the top consisting of a lizard of various colors and turquoise stone inset surrounded by red scrolls and triangles.

Size: 2-3/4" high by 4" long.
Price: $575. Mint Condition.
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Item# 0094P Laura Gachupin, Jemez.

The Gachupin family has been a leader in the Jemez Pueblo in creating distinctive geometric and corn designs. Laura was known early on for her fine pots of various shapes as well as her owl jars. Here she's created a melon pot with asymmetrical fluting of bisque cream body color that flows into a reddish neck. This piece won First Prize plus Best of Class Ribbon from the Intertribal Ceremonial, Gallup, New Mexico, for 1992.

Size: 9" high by 11" diameter.
Price: $7150. Mint Condition.
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