Santa Clara Pueblo Black Carved Jar by Nathan Youngblood [SOLD]

The carved design on this jar has often been called “kiva steps” and “mountains” but those terms are ones applied by observers, not by the potters.  It is not really known whether they are simply geometric shapes or if they have meanings to the pueblo artists. Regardless of their name, they are striking and modern.

We are not the only ones who appreciate the workmanship on this jar, as it was awarded First Prize at the Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial in 1978 and the judge was renowned authority Richard Spivey.  The jar was made in that year as the Ceremonial has a policy that entries must be made in the year the items were made.  Nathan Youngblood signed this and dated it April 22, 1978 (see image below).

Nathan Youngblood is an outstanding potter from a family of many outstanding potters.  He is the grandson of Margaret Tafoya and son of Mela Youngblood. His sister is Nancy Youngblood.  Youngblood is known for his creative designs and technical precision. His burnishing is very fine and he finely sands the edges of his carved designs. Like his grandmother, he believes in the importance of traditional firing one pot at a time, thus greatly diminishing the chance of damage to pottery that may have taken 300 to 400 hours of preparation.

Nathan Youngblood is also known for his contributions to public service.  He has sat on the Board of Directors of the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe and volunteered his time at the annual Wheelwright auction.  He has also served on the boards for the Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial and the Southwestern Association on Indian Arts (SWAIA), the producer of Santa Fe Indian Market.  He has been a board member of the American Crafts Council in New York, on the advisory board for the Scottsdale Center for the Arts and the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe.  He has lectured at the National Museum of American Art in Washington, D.C., the Denver Museum of Natural History, and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe as well as numerous other venues.

Condition: this Santa Clara Pueblo Black Carved Jar by Nathan Youngblood is in very good condition

Provenance: from the Southwest Indian Pottery collection of a family from Durango, Colorado

Recommended Reading and above image source of Nathan Youngblood and wife Anne: Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies, c.1800-Present by Gregory and Angie Schaaf. Photo by Nancy Reyner.