Adobe Gallery Blog

This is a very traditional Santa Clara vessel shape, one of the most popular.  The design-bear paws-too are very traditional.  It is said that the bear paw is put on water jars to enhance the chances that the jar will never be empty of water, a belief based on the fact that bears can always find water.  What a wonderful tribute to nature that is, something that Native Americans are known for doing.

Sometimes the manner in which the bear paw is designed provides a hint to the potter but, in this example, I have been unable to tie these bear paws to a specific potter.  The important consideration is that the jar was beautifully constructed and finished on this Southwest Indian Pottery olla.

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