Carmelita Dunlap (1925-1999) Pueblo, San Ildefonso Blackware Pottery Jug Jar. One her own unique forms, using traditional techniques and forms but with an opening at one point of the mouth like an abstract spout. Signed on the underside. 

Size: 16 x 16 x 12 in. 

Carmelita Dunlap was born in 1925 on the San Ildefonso Pueblo, and was raised by Desideria Sanchez and Maria Martinez after her mother, Juanita Vigil, died when she was eight. She learned to make pottery from her aunts and began making her distinctive vessels in 1955, known not only for her complicated designs but the large size of her pottery and for developing a firing technique that produced the sunrise brown color that has since become her family’s speciality. She was also the matriarch of a family of potters including children Martha Appleleaf, Carlos Dunlap, Cynthia Star Flower, and grandson Erik Fender. Carmelita won numerous awards for her pottery at events such as Santa Fe Indian Market and Gallup Ceremonials before her death in 1999. Her pottery can be found in museums across the country including the National Museum of the American Indian and the Denver Art Museum. 

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