Verda Toledo

Jemez Pueblo

Born into the Navajo Nation on June 30, 1941, Verda Toledo married a Jemez man and moved to his home at Jemez.

She began making pottery in the early 1990s and brought a whole new genre of Jemez pottery to the marketplace: completely matte surfaces on bowls and plates. This was probably the newest thing in Jemez pottery for hundreds of years, probably because she learned the traditional methods of making pottery from Santo Domingo Pueblo potter Thomas Tenorio.

Verda was an exhibitor for years at shows like the Santa Fe Indian Market, Heard Museum Guild Indian Arts Fair & Market, Pueblo Grande Show and others. Her work is known for her bold Mimbres and geometric designs, done in Jemez colors.

Verda signs most of her pieces: "V.J.T. Jemez".


Geometric designs on the outside and water designs on the inside of a polychrome bowl
Polychrome bowl with water designs on the inside and geometric designs on the outside
3.75 in H by 8 in Dia
Geometric designs on a polychrome bowl
Polychrome bowl with geometric designs
3.5 in H by 8.25 in Dia
Geometric design outside and Mimbres-style lizard design inside this polychrome bowl
Polychrome bowl decorated with a Mimbres-style lizard design inside and a geometric design outside
2.75 in H by 7.25 in Dia
Mimbres design on a polychrome bowl
Polychrome bowl decorated with a Mimbres design
3.25 in H by 10.25 in Dia
Geometric design outside and black and white turtle, bird and geometric design inside a polychorme bowl
Polychrome bowl decorated with a black and white turtle, bird and geometric design inside and geometric design outside
3.25 in H by 9.25 in Dia

Jemez Pueblo Potters