Erik Fender Than Tsideh


  • Award-winning Potter & Silversmith
  • San Ildefonso Pueblo
  • Traditional and Contemporary San Ildefonso Pottery, black on black, and two-tone, and polychrome
  • New Mexico Congressional Art Competition
  • Eight Northern Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show
  • Santa Fe Indian Market

Erik Fender (Than Tsideh or Sunbird, born 1970) is a highly skilled and creative potter from San Ildefonso Pueblo. His work has been influenced by his mother, Martha Appleleaf, and his grandmother, legendary potter Carmelita Dunlap. Over the years Fender has worked in a variety of styles both traditional and contemporary, including polychrome, black-on-black and black-on-red with sgraffito carving. He is also known for his innovative green-on-black and green-on-red vessels. His designs often include traditional feather patterns as well as his own contemporary interpretations of petroglyphs and animal forms. All of his work is made by hand with clay gathered from San Ildefonso Pueblo and constructed using the traditional coil method. Also a talented painter and sculptor, Fender has won First Place awards at Santa Fe Indian Market and other prestigious shows.

Erik Fender/Than Tsideh is one of five Pueblo potters who were commissioned by Shumakolowa Native Arts to create traditional Pueblo pottery in the form of a contemporary coffee mug. The one-of-a-kind piece is on permanent display with the other remarkable originals at Shumakolowa, located inside the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

Read the interview with Erik and learn about his family's history, San Ildefonso pottery-making, the process involved with the mug, and more... HERE >>

Artwork By Erik Fender

Erik Fender "Pueblo Morning for One" Gift Set
Erik Fender Pueblo Morning Gift Set - Shumakolowa Native Arts
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Erik Fender Black on Black Avanyu Bowl
Erik Fender Black on Black Avanyu Bowl-Indian Pueblo Store
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Erik Fender Pueblo Pottery Mug
Erik Fender Pueblo Pottery Mug - Shumakolowa Native Arts
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Erik Fender San Ildefonso Black on Black Vase
Erik Fender San Ildefonso Black on Black Vase-Indian Pueblo Store
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$ 1,850.00
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Erik Fender Traditional Green on Black Feather Vase
Erik Fender Traditional Green on Black Feather Vase-Indian Pueblo Store
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$ 2,050.00
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San Ildefonso Small Black on Black Vase
San Ildefonso Small Black on Black Vase-Indian Pueblo Store
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$ 1,450.00
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