Randy Roughface (Ponca) has cajoled this miniature horse into emerging from a block of white alabaster so translucent it looks like calcite. His abundant mane and tail flow freely; head lowered, he appears ready to spring into a gallop at any moment. He stands atop a thin point of Pilar slate. Length, from tip of tail […]
This strong young warrior of the Hoof Clan, Elk, has been coaxed out of the sandstone of his family’s mountain home by Randy Roughface (Ponca). His coat is the sunny golden shade of the sunrise, a beacon of warmth in the winter landscape, his rack of antlers so full and bold that they touch his back as he […]
This wild mustang by Randy Roughface (Ponca) evinces power, strength, and character. Coaxed from velvety Pilar slate in a rich and rare chocolate-brown shade, he appears to smile as, mane and tail flying behind him in the wind, he gathers himself to rear up on his hind legs. When placed on an entirely flat surface, he’s […]
Mike Schildt (Taos Pueblo) created this Bear Clan matriarch (and her three cubs) in 2013. Coaxed from one of the most spectacular examples of spiderweb alabaster we’ve ever seen, this Mother Ghost Bear is solid and substantial, and she stands on full alert. Snowy white with an incredibly rich brown spiderweb matrix, simultaneously delicate and […]
This adolescent Ghost Bear Cub is the eldest offspring in a family that arrived here in 2013, given form and being by Mike Schildt (Taos Pueblo). Carved of hauntingly beautiful spiderweb alabaster, soft white with a stunning spiderweb chocolate matrix. This responsible little elder brother looks on closely and carefully with bright blue eyes of […]
This Ghost Bear Cub is the middle child in a family of bears midwifed from spiderweb alabaster in 2013. Mike Schildt (Taos Pueblo) brought form to this little family from a truly fine example of the stone, nearly pure white, with incredible delicate matrix lines in gold, bronze, and a deep chocolate brown. She gazes solemnly […]
This little ghost bear cub is the baby of the bunch in this family created together in 2013 by Mike Schildt (Taos Pueblo). The color of new snow, with a delicate spiderweb tracery in rich golds and browns, he stands gazing upward, happily, expectantly, through inlaid eyes of bright blue Sleeping Beauty turquoise. Cub stands […]
This enormous medicine bear by master carver Mark Swazo-Hinds (Tesuque Pueblo) is substantial enough to be displayed on a large coffee table. A museum-quality showpiece carved of very pale sandstone in a subtle version of the traditional Southwest hump-backed style, he’s more than a foot long and extremely heavy. He carries a complex medicine bundle […]
This alabaster medicine bear by master carver Mark Swazo-Hinds (Tesuque Pueblo) is hewn in the classic vintage Southwest Indian style. The surface is smooth, silky, and touchable, in a brilliant clear orange with a translucent white marbled matrix. In Mark’s trademark style, the medicine bundle is made of macaw and turkey feathers, shells, pottery sherds, and […]
Master carver Mark Swazo-Hinds (Tesuque Pueblo) coaxes stylized Corn Maidens from plain smooth blocks of stone. Each is hand-carved from very pale, very fine pink sandstone, almost a translucent peach in color. With surfaces so smooth you can hardly keep from touching them, they feel a bit like large worry stones. In lieu of the traditional tablita […]
This resting buffalo was created by Paul Dancebow (Taos Pueblo). A big, solid, heavy animal spirit, he is carved of gray steatite, or soapstone, imported from Canada, and the feel is complex: It manages to seem both warm and cool to the touch at the same time. On the reverse, his tail stands out in relief, curled around […]
This traditional sculpture by carver Paul Dancebow (Taos Pueblo) is done in classic Pueblo style. Carved of cedar, his upturned face is finely detailed, as is his long hair, tied back in traditional style. He’s wrapped in a blanket, and his body curves gently, following the natural line of the wood. He stands atop an […]
Mike Schildt (Taos Pueblo) has coaxed a fierce mother bear from a truly incredible block of stone. Made of spiderweb alabaster, it resembles horsehair pottery but is a naturally-occurring phenomenon, with a magical, mysterious matrix ranging from golden bronze to deepest brown shot throughout the smooth white stone. Mother Bear has turquoise inlay eyes and […]
Mike Schildt (Taos Pueblo) has coaxed this adolescent bear cub from a block of beautifully mysterious spiderweb alabaster. The little ghost bear not yet fully adult, stands tall and strong, looking inquisitively upward through inlaid eyes of Sleeping Beauty turquoise. The stone is a velvety white the shade of new snow, shot through with a […]
This beautiful little bear cub is handcrafted by Mike Schildt (Taos Pueblo) of stunning spiderweb alabaster. The stone itself is smooth and cool, wintry white, with a bold yet delicate tracery of matrix ranging from bronze to deep chocolate brown. The juvenile bear, head tilted upward quizzically, has inlay eyes of Sleeping Beauty turquoise. Stands […]
This representation of a Pueblo elder in traditional dress, complete with blanket, jewelry, and eagle feather, is the work of master carver Ned Archuleta (Taos Pueblo). This one really shows Ned’s ability to coax spirit from stone by following its immanent form, and features great attention to detail: the lines of the blanket, the strands […]
Master carver Ned Archuleta (Taos Pueblo) works in classic Pueblo fashion — with the stone, not against it. The result is an iconic form of a Pueblo elder, wrapped in the traditional blanket and wearing an eagle feather. Pink alabaster mounted on cedar base. Sculpture stands 13-1/4 inches high including base (carving 11-3/4″ high; base, 1-1/2″ […]
In his trademark style, master carver Ned Archuleta (Taos Pueblo) melds together the spirits of a traditional elder and an animal into one mystical piece. Here, it’s the elder and a bear, traditional symbol of medicine and power, rendered in smooth, flowing, silken lines of clay-colored alabaster shot with bits of warm golden-hued streaks in the […]
Buffalo stands solidly on your shelf or mantel, as rendered here by master carver Ned Archuleta (Taos Pueblo). The back of the body and the face are polished smooth; the head, shoulders, and forelegs are roughened to evoke his curly mane. The horns are carved of deep-red polished pipestone. Approximate dimensions are 7″ in length X […]
Master carver Ned Archuleta (Taos Pueblo) has brought a staple of Pueblo foodways into being, following the form and flow of a solid piece of Colorado alabaster. If you look closely, you can see the flowing lines of the matrix in the cool, silky stone, giving the appearance of scales and fins. The ebb and flow […]
Taos Pueblo master carver Ned Archuleta has coaxed a little “furry” medicine bear from this chunk of stone: The hair of his coat is carved right into his body. This little guy is This piece really shows the variability of pink alabaster: All of one small block of stone, his face is nearly white, but […]
Master carver Ned Archuleta (Taos Pueblo) has created this miniature “furry” version of Beaver, his coat etched into a chunk of pink alabaster stone with beautiful variable matrices. His broad, flat tail has the cross-hatching carved right into it; two tiny pieces of turquoise form his eyes. Another angle shown below. Pink alabaster; Sleeping Beauty turquoise $125 + shipping, handling, […]
Alabaster comes in a diverse array of colors and shades, sometimes several combined in one chunk of stone. The chunk of alabaster that here gives birth to Eagle is an example: Shades of bright orange and soft lime green swirled gently into white give the stone the appearance of sherbet. Rendered in a deliberately rough-hewn […]
This vintage-style Eagle rises out of a chunk of Pilar slate to call to the spirits. Carved by Randy Roughface (Ponca), the finish is smooth like soapstone, manifest in an unusually soft red color smudged with the more typical gray. Stands 4.5″ high by 3″ wide at base (dimensions approximate). Pilar slate $125 + shipping, handling, […]
