Red Wedding Vase with Bear Paw Impression by Tina Garcia [SOLD]

Award-winning Santa Clara Pueblo pottery artist Tina Garcia (1957 - 2005) was known for her plain and carved blackware and redware jars, water jars and bowls. Tina Garcia also made large, classic water jars with beautifully tall necks and had been winning awards since 1974.  This medium-sized redware wedding vase, meticulously polished and signed Tina Garcia San Juan ǂ Santa Clara on the bottom, plays a significant role in traditional wedding ceremonies. The wedding vase was made prior to 1993.

During the presentation of the future bride and groom to each other's families, as described by Teresita Naranjo, the couple kneels in the center of the room surrounded by their relatives, who pray for them. After the prayers, the godmother places the wedding vase in front of the couple. The bride drinks from one side of the vase, and the groom from the other. The vase is then passed around, with men drinking from one side and women from the other. Following this ritual of drinking "holy water" and prayers, the bride's family feeds the groom's relatives and sets a date for the church wedding.

After the church wedding, the vase is filled with a chosen drink, and the families drink from it again in the traditional manner-women from one side and men from the other. Having served its ceremonial function, the wedding vase is given to the newlyweds as a symbol of good luck.

Tina Garcia was from both Santa Clara Pueblo and Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan) Pueblo. She was the granddaughter of Severa Tafoya and Cleto Tafoya, daughter of Lydia Tafoya and Santiago Garcia.

Some of Tina's earlier pottery were signed Tina Garcia-Trujillo or Tina G. Trujillo. After her divorce, she went back to signing as Tina Garcia. Even today, Tina is still best remembered for her large, classic water jars with tall necks and sometimes fluted rims.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Red Wedding Vase with Bear Paw Impression by Tina Garcia is from the estate of a Santa Fe resident

Recommended Reading: Santa Clara Pottery Today by Betty LeFree

Reference: Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf.

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Severa Tafoya, Southwest Indian Pottery