Mary Louise Eteeyan is a marvelous contemporary potter from Jemez Pueblo. Her artistic journey is unlike many pueblo potters who typically learn at a very early age from their closely related family members. She was born into the Jemez Pueblo in 1942. Although her mother, Anna Marie Sendo, was also a potter, Mary mostly taught herself. Mary learned over the years simply by observing the pottery techniques employed by her friends. She eventually used those observations for her own experimentation with Jemez pottery beginning in 1978 at the age of thirty-six.

Mary uses clay that she gathers from the area around Jemez Pueblo and refines to construct her pottery. Working in traditional Jemez style, she constructs each piece with hand coiled clay which she then smooths by using stone polishing and mineral slips. She then paints designs using naturally derived pigments to finish her pottery before firing. Mary is most known for her bowls with butterfly lids and wedding vases but she also makes various shapes of pottery. However, there is almost always a butterfly present on all of her pieces, painted or shaped. Besides being known for her butterflies, Mary is also known for her precisely coiled, meticulously painted design motifs and masterful combinations of both stone polished and matte designs.

Mary signs her pottery: Mary Louise Eteeyan, Jemez.

Although Mary came to the traditional art form of Jemez pottery as a middle-aged woman, she has still been an active potter for well over thirty-five years. During those years, she has been recognized for her expertise at many diverse venues within the United States. Mary has won first place awards at the New Mexico State Fair, the Eight Northern Indian Pueblo Arts & Crafts Show, as well as at the Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial. Ms. Eteeyan’s work is shown by the Indian Craft Shop, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, D.C., and many other prominent galleries.

SOURCIES CITED:

Ancient Voices | A Museum to Honor the Least Known People in North America, the Original Tribal Women:
http://dragonflydezignz.50megs.com/Ancient-Voices/Jemez.html

Armadillo Trading Company | Pueblo Indian Pottery Wholesaler:

http://www.armadillotradingcompany.com/mary-louise-eteeyan-jemez-pueblo-indian-potter/

Historic Cameron Trading Post | EST 1916:

https://www.camerontradingpost.com/marylouiseeteeyan

King Galleries | Santa Fe | Scottsdale:

https://kinggalleries.com/brand/eteeyan-mary-louise-b-1942/

Penfield Gallery of Indian Arts | A New Mexican Tradition Since 1898:

https://www.penfieldgallery.com/artistspotters/mleteeyan-10.html

Pueblo Pottery | Maine:

https://www.pueblopotteryme.com/?page_id=807

Worthpoint | The Internet of Stuff:

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/mary-louise-eteeyan-oval-bowl-139173638