Santa Clara Jar with Sgraffito Avanyu Design by Jody Folwell

Created in the 1970s, this beautifully formed hemispheric jar with a sloped shoulder is an iconic work by the innovative Santa Clara potter, Jody Folwell. It features a beautifully polished natural grayish tan slip and an irregular opening. The shoulder is adorned with sgraffito depicting multiple Avanyu serpents. Adding a personal touch, the potter's fingermarks can be seen on the inside bottom of the jar (see below).

Jody Folwell-Turipa (born 1942, Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico) is a renowned Native American potter and artist. Part of the Naranjo family, Folwell is celebrated as an avant-garde Pueblo potter, often called the "first impressionist potter" for her innovative, off-round, uneven-lipped, asymmetrical polished pots that incorporate social commentary and satire.

In 1984, she collaborated with Chiricahua Apache sculptor Bob Haozous on a pot that won Best of Show at the Santa Fe Indian Market. Her work is featured in the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

Folwell's daughters, Susan and Polly Rose Folwell, are also accomplished potters. The Heard Museum showcased their work together in the 2009-2010 exhibition "Mothers & Daughters: Stories in Clay." Folwell's mother, Rose Naranjo, was a respected Santa Clara Pueblo potter.

Of her pottery, Folwell says, "I think of each piece as an artwork that has something to say on its own, a statement about life. I see myself as both a contemporary potter and a traditionalist, and combining the two is very emotional and exciting to me."

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Santa Clara Jar with Sgraffito Avanyu Design by Jody Folwell is from a collector of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf

TAGS:  Rose Naranjo, Polly Rose Folwell, Susan Folwell, Santa Clara Pueblo, Southwest Indian Pottery, Jody Folwell, Chiricahua Apache, Bob Haozous