Maria Martinez Pottery - San Ildefonso Pueblo

Home Maria Martinez Bio Contact Directory Pottery Ancestry Signatures About Us Friends Museums History Books Maria Martinez Pottery

Maria Martinez and Julian Pottery Twitter

Latest Potters:

Doug & Charlotte Vigil were both born in 1954 and have ... Charlotte Vigil

.. Erik Fender, Than Tsidih (Sun Bird) is from San Ild... Erik Fender

One of the original painters at San Ildefonso who’s lif... Alfredo Montoya

Juan Gonzales

Tonita Peña, whose Indian name was Quah Ah Tonita Pena Herrera

Latest Stories:

Isabel Pena: Isabel was a part of the pottery boom in the early 1900s. Not a lot is known about her. Though Isabel’s grandmother was Cipriana Pena who is also the

Terasita Martinez: ...

Ignacio Aguilar: ...

Phelipita Torres: Phelipita helped her Grand Mother Isabel Pena with pottery making at a young age. Her primary function was pottery decoration.

Vitalia Maestas: ...

Isabel Montoya San Ildefonso Pueblo Artist

Life Span: (1898 to ?)

Husband: Benjamin Atencio

Mother: Nicolasa Montoya

Father: Juan Cruz Montoya

Daughter: Angelita Sanchez

Daughter: Helen Gutierrez

Son: Tony Atencio

Son: Gilbert Atencio

Son: Pat Atencio

Sibling: Santana Montoya

Sibling: Alfredo Montoya

Sibling: Rayita Montoya

Relatively unknown, Isabel Montoya played an important role in the development of San Ildefonso pottery. Isabel was the cousin of Maria Martinez and worked closely with her through the glory years. There are very few of her pots around but she was an excellent potter.

Many of her children and grandchildren have continued in her footsteps. Her children Angelita, Tony, Gilbert, Pat and Helen had excellent pottery and painting work. Both Angelita and Helen have children who were very influential in the current San Ildefonso and Santa Clara pottery community.

Sandra Chaparro is currently one of the few descendents that make the beautiful large plates. Many of Helen's children are excellent potters such as Kathleen Gutierrez and Geraldine Gutierrez Shije.

This is an early bowl by Isabel Atencio Montoya and it is signed "Belle" on the bottom in the clay. This bowl has a classic form with a wide feather pattern, which is often seen in early San Ildefonso pottery, but was a design later replaced by the narrow feathers.