Black Bear Paw Jar by Severa Tafoya

This round jar, expertly crafted in the shape of a melon and burnished to a brilliant sheen, features four bear paw impressions pressed into the upper half. According to legend, a bear can always find water, so placing a bear paw on a water jar ensures it will never be empty. The jar is signed Severa Tafoya on the bottom.

Black pottery from the northern New Mexico Tewa Pueblos has existed for over a thousand years but was elevated to fine art in the 20th century. Pre-20th century black pottery was functional, fired to a harder temper, and generally undecorated. In the 1920s, potters began refining vessel shapes, opting for smaller sizes, higher burnish, and overall improved aesthetics. Various designs were added to appeal to collectors, with the bear paw being a popular motif at Santa Clara Pueblo, frequently used by artists like Sara Fina Tafoya, Margaret Tafoya, and Severa Tafoya.

Severa Tafoya was an extraordinary potter during the 1950s and 1960s, a time when pottery was not as mainstream as it is today. If modern collectors had been active in the mid-1900s, Severa would have been highly sought after. Few collectors today recognize her name or appreciate the quality of her pottery. Active for almost 60 years, Severa was a Gutierrez before marriage, sister to Van Gutierrez of the Lela and Van duo. Her daughter Angela Baca was known for her melon jars, and her grandchildren Tina, Greg, and Virginia Garcia, Paul Speckled Rock, and Ray Tafoya continued her legacy.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Black Bear Paw Jar by Severa Tafoya is from a private New Mexico collection.

Recommended Reading: Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery by Rick Dillingham

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Southwest Indian Pottery, Tina Garcia, Santa Clara Pueblo Potter, Lela and Van, Angela Baca, Virginia Garcia, Paul Speckled Rock, Ray Tafoya