Bold Avanyu Red Carved Jar by Mary Cain [SOLD]

This redware piece is meticulously carved and signed on the bottom. Its unique feature lies in the contrasting finishes: the bottom half is polished while the top remains matte, creating the illusion that the Avanyu serpent is part of the unpolished area. The form showcases the smooth burnish characteristic of Mary Cain's pottery, with the Avanyu design elegantly wrapping around the bowl's circumference, meeting where the tongue and tail converge.

Mary Cain hails from a distinguished family of potters. Her grandmother was Sara Fina Tafoya, and her mother was Christina Naranjo. Mary herself is the mother of renowned potters Joy, Linda, and Billy Cain. Recognized as an outstanding potter, she learned the craft from her mother and grandmother and passed this knowledge to her children.  The bowl is in excellent condition and is signed Mary Cain, Santa Clara Pueblo.

Santa Clara Pueblo potter Mary Cain (1916-2010) Blue Rain actively made redware and blackware since 1930. She was taught by her mother, Christina Naranjo and her grandmother, Sara Fina Tafoya. She won numerous awards throughout the years and her pottery items continue to remain much sought after by collectors around the world.  She was the grandmother of famous Santa Clara artist Tammy Garcia

Those who knew Mary Cain will relish wonderful memories of her. She was a magnificent woman. It was always a pleasure to visit and talk with her and her husband at their home in Santa Clara Pueblo. I recall many visits to their home to purchase pottery from Mary and her daughter Linda Cain and Tammy Garcia when she was only a youngster. Mary will be missed by many of us.  - Alexander E. Anthony, Jr.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Bold Avanyu Red Carved Jar by Mary Cain is from a collector of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery by Rick Dillingham

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo, Sara Fina Tafoya, Christina Naranjo, Tammy Garcia, Linda Cain, Southwest Indian Pottery, Mary Cain (Blue Rain)