Linda Tafoya Sanchez Deep Plum Pottery Jar

This exquisite "Deep Plum" jar is an innovation in the creative evolution of Linda Tafoya Sanchez. A breathtaking fusion of ancestral technique and daring personal innovation, this piece represents a new frontier in Santa Clara Pueblo pottery.

While Santa Clara Pueblo is world-renowned for its traditional red and black wares, Linda has pioneered a specular dual-color firing technique. This "Deep Plum" finish is a modern revelation, setting this vessel apart as a true collector's landmark.

Linda Tafoya Sanchez utilizes time-honored methods — coil-building and hand-carving — but modifies the firing to achieve a surface that is a study in texture: Portions of the deep red clay are meticulously stone-polished to a mirror-like high gloss. These polished sections play against the earthy, shimmering texture of micaceous clay, creating a sophisticated interplay of light and shadow.

The jar's narrative is organized into five distinct horizontal bands, meticulously carved to guide the eye. The first and fifth bands encircle the neck and base and feature elegant, curved vertical eagle feathers, stone-polished to a brilliant luster. Bands two and four are delicate micaceous "ropes" encircling the body, providing a tactile transition between the designs. The centerpiece of the jar features a rhythmic series of squares. Each square is divided into triangles that alternate between black or red micaceous finishes and high-polished red slip, creating a mesmerizing "positive-negative" effect around the mid-body. The rim is flat-topped with a polished red slip that extends elegantly into the interior of the neck.

Linda Tafoya Sanchez (b. 1962) carries one of the most prestigious lineages in Pueblo art. As the granddaughter of the legendary Margaret Tafoya and student of her aunt Mary Ester Archuleta, Linda's foundation is unimpeachable. She has expanded the family legacy beyond traditional blackware, blending diverse finishes and micaceous textures that have redefined contemporary standards.

An award-winner at the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum, Linda's global stature was cemented by a prestigious commission to create a custom piece for the Prince of Spain. This jar is signed on the bottom: Linda Tafoya Sanchez, Santa Clara Pueblo. It is a rare opportunity to own a piece that balances the weight of the Tafoya legacy with the pulse of modern innovation.

Condition: Newly finished by the artist, delivered to us on 20 April 2026.

Provenance: this Linda Tafoya Sanchez Deep Plum Pottery Jar is directly from the artist

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

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo, Lee and Betty Tafoya, Margaret Tafoya, Contemporary Southwest Indian Pottery, Linda Tafoya Sanchez, Mary Ester Archuleta