This elegant, hand-built jar stands 10.5” tall, and at its widest point is around 7.25” across. The mouth opening is 4.5” across. It is a sturdy pot, weighning an impressive 2 pounds 15 ounces! I acquired it directly from Ambrose at the Santa Fe Indian Market the same year it was made, 2017, and it has been the anchor and pride of my collection ever since! Now it can be the jewel of your collection; an exemplary example of Ambrose’s art. There are some surface scuffs and tiny scratches, but otherwise the condition is excellent; it is signed and dated on the bottom. This pot can be seen displayed on my bookcase in Jane Smith’s iconic book Santa Fe: Sense of Place. I can ship to you within the US, but if you are in Santa Fe, you are welcome to pick it up at my Palace Avenue studio.

Ambrose Atencio was born on June 11, 1963 at Santo Domingo Pueblo. He was raised in a family of respected potters, learning much about the art of making pottery from watching and working with many relatives but he was most influenced by his uncle, master potter Robert Tenorio.  He began his pursuit as a serious potter in the 1980s and is now a renowned Santo Domingo potter who creates pottery to preserve the traditional art forms of his ancestors and contribute to their legacy. The quality of his lessons and the years of hard work are reflected in the well-balanced shape of his pots and the fine execution of the traditional Santo Domingo designs that Ambrose chooses to employ. He has developed a distinct flair frequently placing traditional designs in intricate, non-traditional patterns.  His style has garnered him not only a large following of collectors but many awards around the country.

Atencio specializes in hand coiled, hand painted traditional Santo Domingo pottery and uses all-natural materials gathered from Santo Domingo Pueblo and constructs each pot by hand, down to the finishing touches that make each pot unique.  He hand cleans the clay for impurities, mixes all the natural pigments with water, and begins hand coiling his vessels. Once the pottery is dry he sands the finished product to give it a smooth finish all around the vessel. Ambrose then begins to hand paint his beautiful designs with a stem of a yucca that has been fashioned into a brush.

He creates natural paints from materials such as spinach and honey beeswax and paints traditional bird, flower and geometric designs on the pot’s surface using a yucca brush.  He sets his pottery out to dry and then fires his masterpieces the traditional way using cottonwood bark like his grandmother, Crucita Tortalita, did.  He is now in the process of teaching his son Elroy to work the clay.

His elegant vessels are widely collected and a beautiful representation of traditional Santo Domingo pottery.

He is related to the following artists: Hilda Coriz (sister), Arthur Coriz (late brother-in-law), Robert Tenorio (uncle), and Ione Coriz (cousin). 

Ambrose has won many awards at juried Native American Arts shows, including Best of Class, Best of Category, and 1st and 2nd place ribbons.