Stephanie Rhoades - Snowflake Flower, Cochiti Pueblo Pottery
Cochiti Pueblo | b. 1931 passed 2018
Cochiti Pueblo artist Stephanie C. Rhoades Ñ also known as Snowflake Flower or Estephanita Ñ was handcrafting traditional storytellers and clay sculptures since the late 1970s. Snowflake Flower was a granddaughter of Estephinita Herrera and a daughter of Berina Cordero. She was a sister of Ada Suina, Joe Cordero, and Mary Cordero. She learned to make pottery from her mother. She began making pottery in 1977. She iwas known for her traditional figure and especially her coyote figures. She was also known for the clay prayer feathers which she puts on all her figures which she began while her daughter was in a 16 year coma from which she recovered in 1999.
Continuing the time-honored methods of her ancestors, Snowflake Flower gathered her own raw materials directly from the sacred grounds of Cochiti Pueblo. She hand-mixed harvested red clay with native white sand to shape each unique sculpture by hand. Once the pieces are dry, she carefully sands them smooth before applying natural pigments: a vibrant white slip, a rich red clay paint, and a deep black paint derived from wild spinach.
Her pottery was fired outdoors in the traditional manner, using cedar wood chips and cow manure to achieve authentic finishes. Snowflake Flower signed each completed piece with Snowflake Flower, Cochiti NM, alongside the title of the figurine.
Reference: Southern Pueblo Pottery: 2,000 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf
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Item No.: A1921
Artist: Snowflake Flower
Size: 5 1/2 in H x 4 1/2 in W x 5 1/2 in D
Price: 295
