11/25/2021
I bought this pig at a crafts fair in the 90s. I think the craft market or fair was located at the Hall of Flowers in San Francisco. I may have bought it direct from the artist herself or from her family. Unfortunately after my move to Holts Summit from Ukiah California the ear has broken. I decided to look up the pig thinking I could find a replacement, but I found it may be a rare pig made by Juana Leno who died in 2000. I looked at bunch of signatures and it looks like this pig could be real. I was thinking of giving it to the Goodwill, but now I know it’s valuable, I could donate to a museum or a collection. Please contact me if you know anything about this item.
“Juana Leno is one of the four matriarchs of contemporary Acoma pottery (including Marie Z. Chino, Lucy Lewis, and Jessie Garcia). She was the daughter of Lupita and Jose Vallo. She was the mother of Rose Leno Chavez, Mary J. Leno, and Regina Leno-Shutiva. She learned to make pottery from her grandmother Eulilia Vallo. She was known for her revival of black and white Tularosa and Anasazi designs. She was also known by her Acoma name, “Syo-ee-mee (Turquoise). Over the years she won numerous awards for her work and has work in museum Juana Leno was born and lived in Acoma Pueblo where she was a respected pottery master.”
I am going to guess that M Leno could be her daughter Mary. I don’t know why it is marked M Leno and not J Leno? Maybe it has something to do with Jay Leno?
I found a You Tube video from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center which mentions Juana Leno along with the three other matriarchs.
Macy Makes Magic 