Santa Clara Pueblo Black Pottery Seed Jar with Sienna Turtle Medallion by Mae Tapia [SOLD]

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Mae Tapia, Santa Clara Pueblo Potter

Santa Clara Pueblo artist Mae Tapia is praised for her sgraffito miniature pottery creations. This small black polished jar highlights a turtle in sienna relief.  The background surrounding the turtle is etched and appears to resemble dirt through which the turtle is moving.  A band of sgraffito carving surrounds the sienna medallion. The jar is signed Mae Tapia Santa Clara Pueblo on the bottom.

ARtist Signature - Mae Tapia, Santa Clara Pueblo PotterMae Suazo Tapia (1952 - ) is a sister-in-law of Anita Suazo and daughter-in-law of Belen Tapia, having married Belen's son Frank Tapia. Mae Tapia is praised for her sgraffito miniatures. She carves her designs with confidence in low relief. Her designs come mostly from nature. From Bighorn sheep on a mountaintop to tiny hummingbirds in a flower garden, Mae takes us into a beautiful world. Her quail are poised and dignified, like Pueblo women dancers. Mae inspires us to look closely for beauty, including even tiny insects, as portrayed in Pueblo pottery back to the period of the Mimbres, c. 900-1100.


Condition: this Santa Clara Pueblo Black Pottery Seed Jar with Sienna Turtle Medallion by Mae Tapia is in excellent original condition

Provenance: Originally from the inventory of the Popovi Da Studio at San Ildefonso Pueblo which had been stored since the studio was closed by Anita Da in the 1970s. Now from the collection of the client to whom we sold it in 2017.

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

Relative Links: Santa Clara PuebloAnita SuazoBelen TapiaSouthwest Indian PotterySanta Clara PuebloContemporaryMae Tapia, Popovi Da


Mae Tapia, Santa Clara Pueblo Potter
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