Object photography
View of the artwork on display in 'Intersections: Native American Art in a New Light'; Peabody Essex Museum; 2006 through 2012.
View of the artwork on display in 'Indian Market: New Directions in Southwestern Native American Pottery'; Peabody Essex Museum; November 16, 2001 through March 17, 2002.
Click image to enlarge +

Object description

  • Lonnie Vigil (Nambe pueblo, birth 1949); Larry Vigil (Nambe pueblo)
  • Bowl, 1999
  • Micaceous clay
  • Nambe pueblo, New Mexico, United States
  • H: 6 3/4 in, dia.: 14 3/8 in (H: 17.1 cm, dia.: 36.5 cm)
  • Museum Purchase, 2001
  • E301794
  • Ultra-modern looking, if not timeless, Vigil considers his work "traditional" because he follows the method, shape, and forms of his ancestors
  • Vigil thinks of his work as collective, because he's connecting to animals, ancestors, and the Earth in making it

Lonnie Vigil is a self-taught artist who has been creating micaceous pottery for nearly 30 years. Not just functional - though you can cook and drink from his bowls and jars - his hand-coiled forms are as elegantly designed as they are thin-walled and balanced. For Lonnie, working with clay is a collaborative process between himself and the clay. In this instance, his brother Larry aided with the stepped rim design.