Pottery Specification
Dimensions: 12" D x 10 3/4" H
Artist: Erik Fender (b. 1970)
Pueblo Affiliation: San Ildefonso Pueblo
Object Type: Jar
Color / Finish: San Ildefonso Polychrome (Cream, Black, and Red with Micaceous Rim & Interior)
Production Method: 100% Handmade
Construction Technique: Traditional Hand-Coiled, Hand-Painted
Firing Process: Traditional Native Pit-Fired
Approximate Date: 2021
Signature / Markings: Signed on the base with his Tewa name "Than Tsideh"
Condition Report: Excellent contemporary condition with no chips, cracks, or repairs.
Visual & Creative Description
This rare polychrome jar features a beautifully hand-painted exterior executed with precise red and black natural mineral decorations over a smooth, rag-wiped cream background. The intricate panels display a masterful interpretation of traditional Pueblo symbols, prominently featuring finely structured feather arrangements and stylized dragonfly motifs. Boasting a fluted, wavy rim that gives way to a highly unusual and special micaceous clay rim and interior, the base is uniquely anchored by a solid red band circling the lower body—a definitive stylistic homage to 19th-century Pueblo pottery. Originally created as an exhibition piece for the 2021 Santa Fe Indian Market, unseasonable weather delayed its outdoor pit-firing past the competition entry deadline, resulting in an incredibly rare, historically significant composition that showcases the absolute limits of the artist's technical range.
About Erik Fender
Erik Fender (b. 1970), who signs his pottery with his Tewa name Than Tsideh (Sunbird), is an award-winning contemporary master from San Ildefonso Pueblo. Born into an illustrious lineage—he is the son of Martha Appleleaf, grandson of Carmelita Dunlap, and great-great-nephew of Maria Martinez—Fender began potting at age ten. While deeply rooted in traditional hand-coiling and outdoor pit-firing, he is celebrated for preparing his own natural paints and boiling pigments harvested directly from local Pueblo vegetation. He has dedicated a significant portion of his career to keeping ancestral techniques alive, frequently winning top honors at the Santa Fe Indian Market. See Erik Fender’s full biography.
Pottery Specification
Dimensions: 12" D x 10 3/4" H
Artist: Erik Fender (b. 1970)
Pueblo Affiliation: San Ildefonso Pueblo
Object Type: Jar
Color / Finish: San Ildefonso Polychrome (Cream, Black, and Red with Micaceous Rim & Interior)
Production Method: 100% Handmade
Construction Technique: Traditional Hand-Coiled, Hand-Painted
Firing Process: Traditional Native Pit-Fired
Approximate Date: 2021
Signature / Markings: Signed on the base with his Tewa name "Than Tsideh"
Condition Report: Excellent contemporary condition with no chips, cracks, or repairs.
Visual & Creative Description
This rare polychrome jar features a beautifully hand-painted exterior executed with precise red and black natural mineral decorations over a smooth, rag-wiped cream background. The intricate panels display a masterful interpretation of traditional Pueblo symbols, prominently featuring finely structured feather arrangements and stylized dragonfly motifs. Boasting a fluted, wavy rim that gives way to a highly unusual and special micaceous clay rim and interior, the base is uniquely anchored by a solid red band circling the lower body—a definitive stylistic homage to 19th-century Pueblo pottery. Originally created as an exhibition piece for the 2021 Santa Fe Indian Market, unseasonable weather delayed its outdoor pit-firing past the competition entry deadline, resulting in an incredibly rare, historically significant composition that showcases the absolute limits of the artist's technical range.
About Erik Fender
Erik Fender (b. 1970), who signs his pottery with his Tewa name Than Tsideh (Sunbird), is an award-winning contemporary master from San Ildefonso Pueblo. Born into an illustrious lineage—he is the son of Martha Appleleaf, grandson of Carmelita Dunlap, and great-great-nephew of Maria Martinez—Fender began potting at age ten. While deeply rooted in traditional hand-coiling and outdoor pit-firing, he is celebrated for preparing his own natural paints and boiling pigments harvested directly from local Pueblo vegetation. He has dedicated a significant portion of his career to keeping ancestral techniques alive, frequently winning top honors at the Santa Fe Indian Market. See Erik Fender’s full biography.
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