Description

Made from red clay and decorated with micaceous slip and vegetal paint, this pot is in beautiful balance. Made from red clay and decorated with micaceous slip and vegetal paint, this pot is in beautiful balance. There is a harmony between the crisp geometric shapes and rounded organic form, as well as the warmth of the reddish clay and its contrast with the dark lines forming the pattern on the surface. The light shimmer across its surface, an effect caused by micaceous glaze, only adds to its beauty.

This pot was created by Kevin Trancosa (1968-97) from San Felipe Pueblo (link 1, link 2) in 1996. Trancosa used the coil-building technique to create his pottery with red clay from San Felipe Pueblo. The patterns on the surface are created using paint from boiled-down Rocky Mountain Bee Plant. San Felipe Pueblo (Katishtya in Keres) is located between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. 

This pot was donated from the Hugh Zimmer collection to the Coe Center in 2017. While at the Coe, this pot was included in the exhibition Stories Within.  

Sources: 

• https://kinggalleries.com/brand/trancosa-kevin-1968-1997/
• https://www.eyesofthepot.com/san-felipe/kevin-trancosa.php
• https://sarweb.org/education/online-exhibitions/evolution-in-clay/21st-century-san-felipe-pottery/
• https://nativepots.com/product/kevin-trancosa-31308/
• https://www.denverartmuseum.org/en/object/2003.1266
• https://sfpueblo.com/
• https://sarweb.org/education/online-exhibitions/evolution-in-clay/san-felipe-katishtya/
• https://www.newmexico.org/native-culture/native-communities/san-felipe-pueblo/
• https://kinggalleries.com/product/trancosa-kevin-seedpot-triangular-geometric-1997-copy