Grace Medicine Flower Seed Pot with Parrots

This polished red sgraffito carved dome-shaped pot by Grace Medicine Flower was completed in 1980. The bottom half of the jar is polished red slip. Just below the midpoint is a circumference of four design elements. Just above the midpoint are feathers surrounding the pot. The sgraffito designs cover the dome top of the jar. The tree is host to a group of parrots along with leaves and flowers. The bottom of the pot is signed Grace Medicine Flower accompanied by her flower logo.

Sgraffito Carving Explained: A method of pottery design known as sgraffito carving is relatively new in pueblo pottery traditions. Rather than deep carving, as is more traditional at Santa Clara Pueblo, sgraffito is achieved by scraping the vessel with a sharp instrument to achieve a shallow depth. The pottery is formed in the traditional coil method, slipped with a watery clay and stone polished before the sgraffito carving commences.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: This Grace Medicine Flower Seed Pot with Parrots is from the estate of a resident of Santa Fe.

Recommended Reading: ART OF CLAY Timeless Pottery of the Southwest by Lee M. Cohen

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo, Sara Fina Tafoya, Camilio Sunflower Tafoya Agapita Yellow Flower Tafoya, Joseph Lonewolf, Grace Medicine Flower