Native American Fine Art and Jewelry

San Ildefonso Vintage Bowl by Blue Corn (Crucita Gonzales Calabaza)

$1,950

Artist: Blue Corn (Crucita Gonzales Calabaza)
Style: Bowl
Pueblo: San Ildefonso, NM
Period: Vintage
Dimensions: 5.5” D x 2” H
Materials: San Ildefonso Clay and Natural Slip
Item: #3889

In stock

Description

Traditional handmade Native American Indian Pottery from Indigenous Pueblos of the Southwest. Guaranteed authentic. Excellent vintage condition.

Celebrate the enduring legacy of Puebloan ceramics with this masterful vintage open bowl by Crucita Gonzales Calabaza, universally known as Blue Corn. Formed entirely by hand using ancestral coiling methods without the use of a potter’s wheel, this beautifully proportioned, open-top vessel is a testament to her world-renowned craftsmanship. The piece showcases her signature, incredibly smooth, glass-like polish—a demanding finish achieved through hours of meticulous hand-rubbing with a traditional river stone.

Whether utilizing the iconic San Ildefonso black-on-black technique or the vibrant polychrome styles she famously helped revive, Blue Corn’s vessels are celebrated for their flawless execution and elegant painted motifs, such as her distinctive feather, cloud, or geometric designs. Fired outdoors in a traditional smothering or oxidation process, depending on the finish, this open bowl carries the distinct warmth and physical presence of authentic Indigenous artistry. As a vintage piece from one of the most important figures in Native American art, it is a museum-quality treasure that grounds any collection in history and breathtaking beauty.

About The Artist

Crucita Gonzales Calabaza, famously known as Blue Corn (1921–1999), is one of the most celebrated and influential ceramic artists in the history of San Ildefonso Pueblo. Born into a family of potters, she learned the traditional methods of gathering clay, coiling, and polishing at a young age. Along with her contemporary Maria Martinez, Blue Corn was instrumental in bringing global recognition to the exceptional pottery of San Ildefonso.

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Pueblo

San Ildefonso pottery is one of the best-known art forms of the New Mexico Pueblos because of the famous black-on-black pottery which originated there and was revived in the nineteen-twenties.

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