Alligator by Mamie Deschellie
A whimsical Mud Toy by Mamie Deschillie—an alligator standing tall on his stubby legs, with bright eyes and a red crocodilian grin, painted leaf green with a yellow belly and spots, and long strong tail. Mamie drew inspiration for her art from children's books, circus animals (as shown here) and animals on the Navajo Reservation, occasionally making up a magical animal from her own imagination. Circa 1980s - ‘90s, made from unfired (sun-baked) clay, paint, 1 ½ x 2 x 5 ½ inches.
Mamie Deschillie (or Deschellie), 1920 - 2010, lived in Fruitland, New Mexico, at the edge of the Navajo Reservation near Farmington New Mexico. She was well known for her “Mud Toys”, specifically unfired but sun-baked clay animal figures decorated with tempera paint, and also for her cardboard collages of animals and people which are highly prized by collectors.
A whimsical Mud Toy by Mamie Deschillie—an alligator standing tall on his stubby legs, with bright eyes and a red crocodilian grin, painted leaf green with a yellow belly and spots, and long strong tail. Mamie drew inspiration for her art from children's books, circus animals (as shown here) and animals on the Navajo Reservation, occasionally making up a magical animal from her own imagination. Circa 1980s - ‘90s, made from unfired (sun-baked) clay, paint, 1 ½ x 2 x 5 ½ inches.
Mamie Deschillie (or Deschellie), 1920 - 2010, lived in Fruitland, New Mexico, at the edge of the Navajo Reservation near Farmington New Mexico. She was well known for her “Mud Toys”, specifically unfired but sun-baked clay animal figures decorated with tempera paint, and also for her cardboard collages of animals and people which are highly prized by collectors.
A whimsical Mud Toy by Mamie Deschillie—an alligator standing tall on his stubby legs, with bright eyes and a red crocodilian grin, painted leaf green with a yellow belly and spots, and long strong tail. Mamie drew inspiration for her art from children's books, circus animals (as shown here) and animals on the Navajo Reservation, occasionally making up a magical animal from her own imagination. Circa 1980s - ‘90s, made from unfired (sun-baked) clay, paint, 1 ½ x 2 x 5 ½ inches.
Mamie Deschillie (or Deschellie), 1920 - 2010, lived in Fruitland, New Mexico, at the edge of the Navajo Reservation near Farmington New Mexico. She was well known for her “Mud Toys”, specifically unfired but sun-baked clay animal figures decorated with tempera paint, and also for her cardboard collages of animals and people which are highly prized by collectors.