Offered is this superb San Ildefonso Pueblo Black on Black Pottery Jar by Tonita Roybal. In stunning condition with a wonderful overall smooth shiny exterior with no nips , chip, cracks or repairs. It measures appox. 6"tall and 6 1/4" in diameter. This pot was crafted and painted by hand by Tonita Roybal herself c. 1920 and is signed on the bottom. There is also a number lightly engraved on the bottom by the previous owner for insurance purposes (see images)  

Tonita Roybal was one of the early well-known potters from San Ildefonso. Had Maria Martinez not earned such fame, Tonita surely would have been as famous: her work was acknowledged to be as fine as Maria's. Tonita learned to make pottery from her mother, Dominguita Pino Martinez (1860-1948). Her brother, Cresencio Martinez (1879-1918), married Maria's sister Anna Montoya. Tonita was also an aunt to Santana Roybal, who later married Maria's son Adam Martinez. Dominguita Martinez was famous for her black-on-red style of pottery, and this was a style which Tonita mastered early on. After 1920 and the advent of black-on-black pottery, Tonita innovated the red-on-red style with the white outlines. Both Tonita and Juan were fascinated by pre-historic pottery. Those designs and their influences can often be seen in their work. After 1913 she began merging the layout of Nampeyo's Sikyátki Revival style with elements from Acoma and elsewhere. By 1925 Tonita was at the peak of her career, then she died an early death in 1945. Tonita was married twice. Her first husband was Alfredo Montoya (1890-1913). After he died she married Juan Cruz Roybal (1896-1990) in 1916. Tonita began making pottery in 1909. Beginning in 1917, Juan started painting some of her pottery and after 1930 he painted the majority of her pieces. When Tonita made the pottery and did the painting, those pieces were signed "Tonita". When she made the vessel and it was painted by Juan, they were signed "Tonita and Juan". Excerpt from (www.eyesofthepot.com) which is a site dedicated to American art pottery.

  • We carefully bubble wrap and pack each piece with plenty of shipping peanuts to insure your items arrive safely. Check out our positive feedback and bid with confidence! We are always happy to combine ship whenever possible to save on shipping costs. We like happy customers so please let us know if you have any questions. Thanks for checking us out! Your Virginia Pickers-Mike and Lisa

  • All of our items come from private estates filled with porcelain, pottery, glassware, artwork, furniture and more and we will be listing it daily so mark us on your favorites and stay tuned for more great items!  

  • Terms and Conditions Thank you for your interest in our items. If you have any questions about our items, please contact us before bidding as all items are sold as is, as listed. We will refund your purchase price only if there is damage that was not listed by us previously. Payment on winning bids is due within 3 business days of auction closing. If we do not receive payment, and have not been contacted by the buyer, we reserve the right to re-list the item. International Buyers – Please Note: We are not responsible for any delays that might occur when your package reaches customs.  Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up – do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. We do not mark merchandise values below value or mark items as "gifts" - US and International government regulations prohibit such behavior. As a seller, our policy is to leave positive feedback as soon as possible and would appreciate the same in return. Thank you again for your interest and good luck!

    •