Large Blackware Pottery Wedding Vase by Margaret Tafoya [SOLD]

This carved blackware wedding vase was created by Santa Clara Pueblo matriarch Margaret Tafoya.  It is an impressive piece with an exceptional shape and an attractive design.  The lower section’s shape is reminiscent of a traditional pueblo water jar.  Where the water jar’s rim would appear, this piece continues upward, splitting into two tall spouts.  These spouts are linked by an arch, completing the form we know as a wedding vessel.  At eighteen inches in height and just over a foot in diameter, this is a large example with a powerful presence.  This piece most likely dates to the 1960s. 

A carved band circles the jar horizontally, just above its widest point.  On opposite sides of the vase, this line moves upward and then back down, forming stepped patterns. The larger front and back sides—we use the two spouts as a point of reference here—feature a slightly more elaborate carved design.  Here, the lower band continues its horizontal path as kiva step designs, triangular patterns and rectangular patterns rise up toward the two spouts.  The design work suits the vessel perfectly, which is typical of Tafoya’s works.  The rich luster of the polished black slip is a joy to view, and the consistency of the carved designs deserves a close look.  With a large piece like this, balance is necessary, and Tafoya succeeds in that regard.  Each element of the vessel’s form and design feels like it’s exactly how it should be.  All together, they create an exceptionally elegant piece of pottery.

The bottom of the vase is signed Margaret Tafoya.

Margaret Tafoya (1904 - 2001) Corn Blossom was born August 13, 1904, at Santa Clara Pueblo.  Margaret learned her skills from her parents, Sara Fina Gutierrez Tafoya and Jose Geronimo Tafoya, who were expert potters. Margaret and her mother were known for their ability to make unusually large storage jars and water jars. She believed the secret to her technique were her polishing stones, which have been passed down through the generations. She taught many of her nine children how to make pottery.  Virginia Ebelacker, Mela Youngblood, Toni Roller, LuAnn Tafoya, and Esther Archuleta are among the long list of Tafoya’s descendants who are or were successful potters. In 1985, Tafoya was one of three New Mexicans selected to receive the Governor's Award, New Mexico's highest artistic honor, awarded for a major contribution to the arts of New Mexico. Her works are included in prominent collections worldwide, and she is one of the most important Native American artists.

Condition: excellent condition with a few very small abrasions

Provenance: this Large Blackware Pottery Wedding Vase by Margaret Tafoya is from a private New Mexico collection

Recommended Reading: Born of Fire: The Pottery of Margaret Tafoya by Charles S. King

Relative Links: Santa Clara Pueblo, Sara Fina Gutierrez Tafoya, Virginia Ebelacker, Mela Youngblood, Toni Roller, LuAnn Tafoya, Margaret Tafoya, Santa Clara Pueblo Potter