John Montoya (d.)
Sandia Pueblo

Sandia Water Maiden

21 1/2" H x 13" D



John Montoya started out by painting on ceramics while in his teens. He shared ideas with his cousin, Robert Montoya as they each advanced their skills. During the mid 1970's, he served his country in the US Navy and then returned to Albuquerque and Sandia Pueblo to continue his artistic progress.

When he arrived at the point where he wanted to learn the methods of traditional pottery, he approached a potter from another Pueblo with the customary gift of tobacco. However, the potter held personal beliefs that the knowledge of pottery should be a privately developed skill and that the Clay Mother is the best teacher.

This turned out to be a good lesson for John since he was able to develop his own style, with only the knowledge of tradition to guide him. So he set out to learn this skill for himself. Using commercial clay at first, he started to make his first pot. It was thick and crude, but he continued to practice and then started using local clay and paints.

As time progressed, John turned into an excellent potter. So good, that some have said incorrectly that he occasionally made pottery using a wheel. He was a traditional potter that staid true to the traditional ways.

John passed away a few years ago, but was well known for producing some very fine traditional pottery. He's listed in Hayes & Blom 1996, Berger and Schiffer 2002 and Schaaf 2002.



model used to show size and proportion


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