NEHMA | Collection

Luther Gutierrez

Native American
(1911–1987)

Jar
Date unknown

Earthenware
6.75 x 6.75 x 6.75 in.
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. J. A. Fillmore
1998.15

Margaret Gutierrez is the daughter of the prominent Santa Clara Pueblo potters Lela and Van Gutierrez. Trained by her parents in their innovative techniques, Margaret continued working in that style. The polychrome vessel Jar exhibits the earth tones and curvilinear designs they specialized in. However, Margaret emphasized the creative development of traditional designs, along with elements of humor. For example, Turtle is a form not often explored by her parents. Her work, combining whimsy with elegance, frequently included animals. She was well known for incorporating traditional images of Puebloan deities, particularly Avanyu, the Tewa guardian of water, often depicted as a water serpent.

The Gutierrezes were the only family of Santa Clara Pueblo potters who derived all their colors—tans, greens, blues, golds, and reds—from natural pigments. The emphasis on local materials is one of the ways Native American potters connect to the land through ceramics.

Matthew Limb

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