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No Rest
Dorothy
Gutierrez
Santa Clara
Pueblo, New Mexico
Dorothy Gutierrez
of Santa Clara Pueblo has been in the trade of making nativity sets for many
years. She is noted for combining buff and polish. Most of her figures show
tunics of unpolished light brown buff. Veils and mantels are richly contrasted
with polished dark brown slip. The Infant Jesus is placed on a cradleboard,
probably a reminder of Dorothy’s Najavo descent. The cradleboard is not a cradle
that invites lullabies. It is typical of people frequently on the move. The
cradleboard answers a practical need. It allows the mother to carry babies as
comfortably as possible. Christian existence is frequently compared to a
pilgrim’s journey. The comparison has its origins in Jesus Christ who had no
place to rest his head. |