Margaret Tafoya Carved Blackware Jar with Avanyu Design [SOLD]

This carved blackware jar was created by Margaret Tafoya, a Santa Clara Pueblo artist who is generally regarded as one of the most important pueblo potters. Tafoya's elegant pottery creations—usually black, sometimes red—are sought by collectors who appreciate beauty and historical significance.

This low, wide jar was coiled by hand, slipped and stone polished, and carved to form an Avanyu water serpent design. This figure was a favorite of Tafoya's and her Santa Clara peers. It was executed stylishly here, with precise carving and strong design. The wide band that contains the Avanyu covers about half of the jar's exterior, leaving a thin band of beautifully polished slip at the rim and a wider one down below. This is a strong example of polished Santa Clara blackware from one of those responsible for the popularity of the style.

The bottom of the jar 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 had 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 museum collections worldwide, and she is often listed among the most influential Native artists.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Margaret Tafoya Carved Blackware Jar with Avanyu Design is from a private collection

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

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