Black Carved Jar With Avanyu by Margaret Tafoya [R]

This is an extraordinary stone-polished black carved jar by Margaret Tafoya of Santa Clara Pueblo. This magnificent piece was coil formed in native clay over which was applied a red slip which was painstakingly burnished with a polishing stone and fired in a reduction firing which resulted in it turning black.

This jar features a singular design motif—the carved Avanyu (Water Serpent) around the mid-body. Legend has it that the Avanyu represents the flow of water down the arroyo (a small steep-sided watercourse or gulch with a nearly flat floor: usually dry except after heavy rains), so putting an Avanyu on a jar or bowl assures that there will always be sufficient water.

This is a superb example of Margaret's carved pottery pieces. It has an extremely fine burnish and a deep black firing. The wall of the vessel curves in and provides a background for the carved design.

The jar is in beautiful condition. It is a truly phenomenal example of Santa Clara carved blackware by Margaret Tafoya. It has superb balance and execution of form with a magnificent swell to the mid-body. It is excellent in all manner of workmanship, from construction and polish to carving. It is a truly superb jar by one of the great women of pueblo pottery.