Those are awfully pretty--I can see why you love them so!

You might try contacting the bookstore at the Gila Cliff Dwelling site: http://www.nps.gov/gicl/supportyourpark/bookstore.htm. Other options are the Deming Museum gift shop: http://www.lunacountyhistoricalsociety.com/ or the Western New Mexico University Museum gift shop: http://www.wnmumuseum.org/museumshop.html

If none of those work, you may also try the New Mexico Museum Foundation online shop: http://moiac.shopmuseum.org/category-1302/Home-Furnishings

Also, the Shumakolowa Native Arts website showcases and sells native art from the 19 New Mexico pueblos. I don't know if they have potholders, but you might see something else there you like: http://shumakolowa.com/

Good luck!

BakerJen
Thank you so much for the links. Contacting the museums is a very good idea.
Do you know these museums? I remember a small one with large murals covering the walls showing bowls that were in the museum's collection. I believe they all came from digs on a nearby ranch? I cannot remember the name of the museum, and none of my photographs show the name.
I do remember the Deming museum.
Thank you again for the suggestions.

Google for them, if there are any out there it will come up.

Looks like you may have a craft project on your hands.

The other thing you could try doing is stenciling the designs onto plain pot holders using fabric paint. Scan or photocopy the designs, adjust size if necessary and then transfer to the pot holder.

Good Luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Painted Desert Mimbres Fabric

You can also try taking the photos again, so that it contains one image in each shot, and do a Google search by IMAGES, so it will seek anything that looks like that individual picture.

(Go to Google,
choose Images (it is on the top right on my screen);
click on the camera in the Google Images search that comes up,
and then choose Upload an Image.)

Hope that helps!

You could try calling the Chile Shop in Santa Fe. They sell Mimbres China

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to Chile Shop

Thanks, everyone.
EmmaR, googling hasn't yielded results, but. . . I keep trying different combinations.

Illhhi, thank you for the fabric pic. The printed images are smaller than I would like (2" diameter), but I can cut them out, appliqué them to a larger circle, and make more potholders than I could ever use. I have ordered some of the fabric. Found it on ebay for less than on your link. We'll see if it works. If not, I'll make dish towels!!

Wannaknow1, I could search google images for a particular image. Hmmm, that might lead me to more. I may try that. thanks.

Wow, seems like these lovely designs would be perfect for pot holders, and I would never have guessed more people aren't offering them. I thought Etsy would have something, for sure, but no dice!

I finally found a few on CafePress, although they are not quite like your old ones:
Mimbres bat pot holder

Mimbres bowl fish design pot holder

I love Mimbres designs, and I'll post back if I turn up anything else.

The Western New Mexico University in Silver City has a wonderful collection of Mimbres pottery, and much of their gift shop is geared to Mimbres art. I don't remember if they sell pot holders, but here is the email address for their gift shop:
info@wnmumuseum.org

And here is the email address for the Deming Luna Mimbres Museum:
dlmm@qwestoffice.net

Hope you find some!

(edited...whoops, I see BakerJen already gave you these museum contacts, sorry!)

This post was edited by mudhouse on Wed, Jan 21, 15 at 18:20

Mudhouse

Thank you so much. I had seen these two.
I have already ordered the bat potholder. It will make me smile because our culture has such a negative image of bats. I remember a magic moment when I held a cinnamon colored bat that I found hanging from one of your shrubs (in my Indiana garden.) It was so lovely. Nothing negative in my connotations of bats!
Thank you everyone for your input.
I like the fish design one because it shows the "spirit hole" broken in a bowl so the spirits can escape--but it cuts off the fish's head, for goodness sake. I didn't order that one.

I remember the Deming museum very well. I don't think I have ever been to Silver City, though.

I know, I don't think either of the CafePress designs are as nice as your old ones. I still think something similar must be out there, somewhere...

I think the Mimbres collection at the Western NM University in Silver City is the largest one in existence. On our last visit, they told us they rotate different pieces through the display routinely (too many items to display all at once.) It's just fabulous, so if you get back out this way, maybe pencil that in!

I had to get comfy with bats in my last home, because they lived in the attic of our old detached rock garage. That building also housed our washer and dryer. I will admit there were a few evenings I did a U-turn with the laundry basket, when I saw a bat flitting around the light bulb over the washer. I don't mind them, but don't really want them flying around my head! But they never gave me any trouble. Interesting little critters.

Bellsmom, I wonder if the place you visited was maybe the Mimbres Culture Heritage Site? I think I've been there before, but can't be sure--my mom was a history teacher, so as a kid I was taken to a number of museums and historical sites, but my specific memories of each are a bit fuzzy!

SharonNM, I hadn't seen that particular china before--it's just beautiful, and I love the history. I've been looking for replacement china lately, and I'll definitely have to look into it more closely.

Mudhouse, great minds think alike. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Mimbres Culture Heritage Site description

SharonNM, I thought I responded to your post. Sorry if I didn't. I really like the Mimbres china and may order a piece or two.
BakerJen and others, When I have time (in a day or two) I will hunt up my photos of the photo murals in the museum I remember. Maybe you will recognize them.

And again thank you to everyone who helped me search--and helped revive the art of these wonderful women potters, cooks, and homemakers of the past.

You might want to inquire at a screen printing shop (T-shirt printers) for a price on printing your desired designs on ready made pot holders. Here is a site that sells tiles, which would be a good size for the design.

Here is a link that might be useful: House tiles Mimbres design

Voila,
Thank you for the link which I hadn't seen. My first thought was to use a couple of the tiles for trivets, but they are only 4". They would make nice accent tiles in a backsplash, though.

bellsmom, you could frame the tiles with a liner or pencil tile of some kind to get them large enough for a trivet. or even just strips of wood. framing them, so to speak, would make for a nicer presentation anyway, i think.

bellsmom, you could frame the tiles with a liner or pencil tile of some kind to get them large enough for a trivet. or even just strips of wood. framing them, so to speak, would make for a nicer presentation anyway, i think.

ci_lantro
Thanks for the idea of framing the trivets. Yes, I agree. And it would be very easy to cut a maybe 7" square of thin plywood, glue a 4" tile in the center, and fasten on a mitered 1" or 1 1/2" edge frame. Maybe add little feet. Wouldn't a set of them make an interesting design on a table or server?
Here are the tiles.
{{gwi:2138301}}

I do love projects. I'll add this to the list.

I am really surprised that we haven't turned up a source of potholders. I have called a couple museums and had no luck.

This post was edited by Bellsmom on Sat, Jan 24, 15 at 11:00