Polished Black Wedding Vessel with Bear Paw Design [SOLD]

Tina Garcia was a granddaughter of Severa Tafoya (1890-1973), who was a sister of Van Gutierrez of Lela and Van fame.  Tina’s mom, Lydia Tafoya, was from Santa Clara Pueblo and her father, Santiago Garcia, from Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo.  Tina sometimes signed her pottery with the names of both pueblos.

All of the Tewa-speaking pueblos of Northern New Mexico traditionally made blackware pottery during the historic period and most continued into the contemporary period. This includes San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Ohkay Owingeh, Santa Clara, Nambe and Pojoaque Pueblos. A black wedding vase of the style of this one would generally be the same whether it came from Santa Clara or Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo.   Tina signed this one as being from Santa Clara Pueblo.

The wedding vase is used during the presentation of the future bride and groom to each other's family. This ceremony, as relayed by Teresita Naranjo, concludes with the bride and groom kneeling in the middle of the room with the boy’s relatives and the girl’s relatives praying all around them.  After the prayers, the godmother places the wedding vase in front of the bride and groom.  The bride then drinks out of one side of the wedding vase and the groom drinks from the other.  Then the vase is passed to all in the room—the men drinking from one side and the women from the other.  After the ritual of drinking the “holy water” and the prayers, the girl’s family feeds all the boy’s relatives and a date is set for the church wedding.  The wedding vase is now put aside until after the church wedding, when the wedding vase is again filled with any drink the family may choose and all the family drink in the traditional manner—women on one side, men on the other.  The wedding vase has now served its ceremonial function and is now given to the young couple as a good luck piece. Betty LeFree, 1975

This wedding vase by Tina Garcia stands proud and erect and literally glows with a beautiful dark black sheen. 

Condition: original condition

Provenance: the current owner purchased it from Adobe Gallery in 1985, at which time it was newly purchased from the artist.  It is dated February 1984 on the underside along with the artist’s name and pueblo designation.

Reference: Santa Clara Pottery Today by Betty LeFree