
Ingmars Lindbergs
Director
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Sold for US$15,075 inc. premium
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Director

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Provenance
Per the collector's notes, purchased at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial August, 1971
Tony Da, grandson of master San Ildefonso potter Maria Martinez and son of Popovi Da, showed an early proficiency with clay early under his grandmother's tutelage. In his late 20s, Da's innovative methods, combined with his use of traditional Mimbres motifs, led him quickly into popularity, with his signature figurative bears quickly becoming his most easily recognized pieces. The earlier bears were always executed in polished black "gunmetal." Da experimented with double-firing to get the black and sienna coloration seen in the present example, but found the method too volatile, finally settling on a blowtorch to burn away the oxidation and create sienna bands, spots, or rims (King, Charles S. and Spivey, Richard L., The Life and Art of Tony Da, Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tucson, AZ, 2011 p. 44-51.