Special Value Offer: Santa Clara Pueblo Very Large Bear Paw Jar [SOLD]

Special Value Offer: A price reduction of 25% from the original price of $40,000 to a new price of $30,000 has been authorized by the estate of Katherine H. Rust.

In the decade of the 1950s, Margaret Tafoya (1904 - 2001) Maria Margarita Tafoya - Corn Blossom, with the help of her husband, Alcario, mastered the techniques of pottery production.  They had raised ten children to adulthood and numerous grandchildren too.  She had taught all of her children the techniques of pottery making.  With their children grown and self-sufficient, she could concentrate on perfecting her techniques.  She made very large storage jars—a feat most potters would not attempt.  She made most of these in the 1950s and 1960s, and then tapered off as she got older.  She then made smaller items.

Once a jar is sanded and the slip applied, it has to be polished in its entirety from top to bottom without stopping for any reason, not even to eat or drink.  The slip cannot be allowed to dry before it is fully stone polished.  On a large jar such as this, the process could involve two or three of Margaret's adult children taking turns polishing for their mom.

I point this out because I want the reader to truly understand the immense amount of time and effort that goes into making large storage jars, not to mention the patience and talent.  One must also remember that making the jar is preceded by collecting the clay and working out all of the impurities until it is useable, an unglamorous effort that can takes weeks of preparation before even hand coiling the first row of clay.  Making large jars such as this one is truly a talent that not many potters will ever achieve.

It is often said of an artist, an entrepreneur, an inventor or a model that they gained instant success, often overlooking the years or decades that that person labored to achieve success.  This could be said of Margaret Tafoya of Santa Clara Pueblo.  In the 1950s, she gained recognition as a superstar of pueblo pottery, but few appreciate that she made pottery for 30 or more years before being recognized as such.  Margaret learned the techniques of making large jars from her mom, Sara Fina Tafoya — also a master potter who made large jars.

The signature on the jar has worn away but there is no doubt it is the work of Margaret Tafoya.  Katherine Rust, the current owner, acquired it directly from the potter.

Condition:  this jar had a section near the rim that was broken out and replaced by a non-professional.  We had that repair work undone and professionally repaired by a pottery conservator.  The jar is now in beautiful condition and the former break is no longer detectable.

Recommended Reading: Born of Fire: The Life and Pottery of Margaret Tafoya by Charles King

Provenance: from the collection of Katherine H. Rust