Native American Candle Holder

Bought this at an estate sale, stands 2 1/4" tall and measures 3 1/4" across the base. It is unsigned. Anyone have a clue?

 

It's from Isleta Pueblo, located on the southern edge of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and dates early 1900s to 1935.

This type of pottery was developed by a group of Laguna Pueblo potters who left Laguna and moved to Isleta in the late 1800s, and started making small souvenir items for the tourists arriving in the southwest by train. Since Isleta was located near the train station, it provided a regular market, that lasted until the Depression in the mid-1930s.

They used white clay from Laguna, which was different from the plain orange ware previously made at Isleta. Once the market dried up, pottery at Isleta went into a decline, and this style wasn't made anymore. There are a handful of potters working there today, each with their own style of pottery, which is often derived from or influenced by other pueblos.

 

Wow, Taupou, how cool! (I was going to guess Mexican...)

 

Thanks Taupou! May I copy and paste your info?

Kath

 

Sure, that would be okay.

 

Thanks! You are just awesome!

Kath

 

Me too!!

 

I literally live 5 mins from isleta in Los Lunas and have a similar bowl to this candle stick, cool to find this out...