Santa Clara Pueblo Polished Black Pottery Bowl by Nathan Youngblood

The Understated Elegance of Nathan Youngblood

Santa Clara Pueblo artist Nathan Youngblood made the conscious choice to leave this pottery bowl void of decoration, allowing the stunning deep black burnishing to be the sole focus. The elegant vessel shape and the mirror-like reflection of its high-luster finish are a testament to his masterful technique.

The jar is signed by the artist, and although not dated, it likely dates to the late 1970s. This was a period when Nathan produced what might be called "understated" pottery — a term that speaks not to a lack of effort, but to the profound accomplishment of creating beauty through form and flawless finish alone.

Santa Clara Pueblo artist Nathan Youngblood is known for his creative pottery designs and technical precision. His burnishing is exceptional, and he finely sands the edges of his carved designs. Like his grandmother, Margaret Tafoya, he believes in the importance of traditional firing one pot at a time, thus greatly diminishing the chance of damage to pottery pieces that may have taken 300 to 400 hours of preparation. He is the son of Mela Youngblood. His sister is Nancy Youngblood.

Reference: Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf. 

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo,Santa Fe, Pottery, Margaret Tafoya, Mela Youngblood, Nancy Youngblood, Nathan Youngblood, Santa Clara Pueblo Potter