Melony Gutierrez

Santa Clara Pueblo

Melony Gutierrez is Sammy Naranjo's "significant other." Melony has long been known as an excellent basket weaver, she learned her pottery skills through working with Sammy. She told me once that her great-grandmother was Legoria Tafoya. Legoria's daughters mostly made pottery but Melony's mother wove baskets. Skills like that are generally passed down through generations of a family, although they also often move spouse-to-spouse.

Melony's specialty seems to be carved black turtles with sgraffito and painted designs, sienna spots and inlaid stones, something Sammy also used to do before he met Melony. I've seen both their signatures on a few turtles. I've also seen her signature on a few of his trademark black jars.

There is an interview with Melony and Sammy where they demonstrate how they make their pottery and talk about what the shapes and designs mean to them. The video was live-streamed in August, 2020.

Sgraffito designs and inlaid turquoise on a blackware turtle
Carved black turtle with sgraffito designs, sienna spots and inlaid turquoise
3.75 in H by 6.75 in Dia
Sgraffito geometric designs, sienna spot and inlaid turquoise on a black turtle
Black turtle with sgraffito geometric designs, sienna spot and inlaid turquoise
3.5 in H by 6.75 in Dia
Sgraffito floral, butterfly and geometric designs on a carved black turtle with sienna spots and inlaid turquoise
Black turtle with sienna spots, carved with geometric designs, sgraffito floral, butterfly and geometric designs, plus inlaid turquoise
3.5 in H by 6.5 in Dia
Carved geometric design with sgraffito feather and geometric design on a black turtle with inlaid turquoise
Black turtle with sienna spot and carved geometric design with sgraffito feather and geometric design plus inlaid turquoise
4 in H by 7 in Dia
Sgraffito rose and geometric design plus inlaid turquoise on a black turtle with sienna spot
Black turtle with sienna spot and sgraffito rose and geometric design plus inlaid turquoise
3.5 in H by 6.5 in Dia
Sgraffito flower and butterfly design plus inlaid turquoise on a carved black turtle
Carved black turtle with sgraffito butterfly and flower deisgn plus inlaid turquoise
4 in H by 7.25 in Dia
Sgraffito avanyu and geometric design on a carved black turtle with inlaid turquoise
Carved black turtle with sienna spot and sgraffito avanyu and geometric design plus inlaid turquoise
4.25 in H by 9 in Dia
Sgraffito butterfly and floral design on a carved black turtle with sienna spots and inlaid turquoise
Carved black turtle with sienna spots and sgraffito butterfly and floral design plus inlaid turquoise
4 in H by 6.75 in Dia
Sgraffito butterfly and flower design with four pieces of inlaid turquoise on a carved black turtle
Carved black turtle with sienna spots and sgraffito butterfly and flower design plus four pieces of inlaid turquoise
3.75 in H by 7 in Dia
Sgraffito butterfly flower and geometric design on a carved black turtle with inlaid stones
Carved black turtle with sienna spots, sgraffito butterfly, flower and geometric design and inlaid stones
3.5 in H by 6.75 in Dia
Sgraffito butterfly, flower and geometric design on a carved black turtle
Carved black turtle with sgraffito butterfly, flower and geometric design plus inlaid stones
2.75 in H by 6.25 in Dia
Sgraffito feather and geometric design on a carved black turtle with a sienna spot and inlaid stones
Carved black turtle with a sienna spot, sgraffito feather and geometric design and inlaid stones
4 in H by 7 in Dia
Sgraffito butterfly and flower design with six inlaid stones on a carved black turtle
Carved black turtle with sienna spots and sgraffito butterfly and flower design plus 6 pieces of inlaid stone
3.75 in H by 6.75 in Dia
Sgraffito avanyu, feather and geometric design on a carved black turtle with inlaid stones
Carved black turtle with sienna spots, sgraffito avanyu, feather and geometric design and inlaid stones
4.25 in H by 7.5 in Dia
Sgraffito butterfly, flower and geometric design on a carved black turtle with inlaid stones
Carved and formed black turtle with sgraffito butterfly, flower and geometric design plus inlaid stones
3.5 in H by 6.75 in Dia
Sgraffito flower and geometric design on a carved black turtle with sienna spots and inlaid stones
Carved black turtle with sienna spots, sgraffito flower and geometric design and inlaid stones
3.75 in H by 7 in Dia

Santa Clara Pueblo Potters