Santo Domingo

Known best for their jewelry, Santo Domingo potters still make some of the largest ollas and dough bowls. Much of their pottery is hand coiled, traditionally painted and fired outdoors in a pit. From 1870-1910, six potters were most prominent at Santo Domingo. The American Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., collected pots by Rosita, Joseffa and Margarite Tenorio. Felipita Aguilar Garcia painted negative designs on her pots. In the 1910s, Monica Silva, (Santa Clara), married into Santo Domingo. She helped popularize black-on-blackware and red-on-redware pottery, and also created fine quality Santo Domingo-style polychrome. The blackware and redware styles were developed by Miguelita Aguilar, her daughter, Rafaelita Aguilar, her nephews, and other well known potters. In the 1930s, museum director Kenneth M. Chapman gave sets of old Santo Domingo pottery designs to several prominent Santo Domingo potters. At that time, Maria Garcia began making large polychrome storage jars. Her daughter, Santana Melchor, emerged by the mid-20th century as a top, award-winning potter.

Source Information: Volume Four, American Indian Art Series, Southern Pueblo Pottery, 2,000 Artist Biographies, by Gregory Schaaf, Ph.D.