Zuni Pueblo Pottery Bowl By Quanita Kalestewa

Late 20th Century

3.375″ H x 5.125″ D

Hand Coiled from Clay Thin Walled with a Cream Field and Painted Terracotta and Black Colors in a Deer Motif Geometric Design from New Mexico

From a Private Colorado Collection

In Very Good Condition

Quanita (or Juanita) Kalestewa (b. 1932) is a respected Zuni Pueblo (A:shiwi) potter. She is the daughter of potter Nellie Bica, wife of potter Jack Kalestewa, and mother to potters including Erma Homer (Kalestewa), Roweena Lention, and Connie Yatsayte. She and her husband started as jewelry makers but shifted to pottery in the 1960s due to rising silver prices and health concerns from shell dust. They gathered clay from Nutria Mesa, made red paint from yellow ochre, formed pieces (often thin-walled) in a trailer, and traditionally fired with sheep manure outdoors.

Quanita and Jack collaborated extensively and produced hundreds of jars, cornmeal bowls, effigy pots, frog pots, owls, and other forms. Their additive style features applied elements like frogs and serpents, plus painted tadpoles, butterflies, heartline deer, terraced clouds, Kolowisi (plumed water serpent), and lizards on bright white (kaolin slip) surfaces. Designs often blend traditional and original motifs; their works can be hard to distinguish, and they sometimes signed with her name. She drew from watching her mother but became actively involved later. The family has won awards (e.g., at Santa Fe Indian Market) and continues the tradition through descendants.