Rose Gonzales (1900-1989) - San Ildefonso Redware Plate c. 1940s, 4.25" diameter

Ex California collection. This pottery has remained within the same family since being collected. They belonged to a husband and wife who both served during World War II at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. In 1966, their daughter and her husband, who was a professional potter, began participating in an annual festival at St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valleyermo, California. There, they met Acoma potter Lucy Lewis and her family, and would sometimes trade their pottery with one another. Lucy would use the husband’s pottery at Sky City for ceremonies, and their friendship lasted for several years. In the early 1970s, Lucy and her daughters visited their home in Claremont, California, and gifted the couple with a large pottery piece Lucy had made. A copy of a letter from the owner is included with this piece.