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Tonita Martinez Roybal

Po-Woh-Geh-Owingeh (San Ildefonso Pueblo), 1892-1945

BiographyPotter, black-on-black. Used "negative space" in the design area, letting the polished sections show through. Also created dramatic black-on-red pots.

Tonita Martinez Roybal (1892-1945) Antonita of San Ildefonso Pueblo is acknowledged as one of the finest potters of the twentieth century. Antonita, as she was known, changed her name to Tonita Montoya when she married her first husband and Tonita Roybal when she married her second husband Juan Roybal, following the death of her first. She would continue to be known as Tonita Roybal after this second marriage in 1916. She learned to make pottery from her mother, Dominguita Pino Martinez. Dominguita Martinez was famous for her "black-on-red" style of pottery, and this was a style which Tonita mastered early. After 1920 and the advent of black-on-black pottery, Tonita invented the red-on-red style with the white outlines.

Tonita began making pottery in 1909. Beginning in 1917, Juan started painting some of her pottery and after 1930 he painted a majority of her pieces. When Tonita made the pottery and did the painting, these pieces were signed, "Tonita". When she made the vessel and it was painted by Juan, they were signed, "Tonita and Juan".

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