Santa Clara Pueblo Stone Polished Seed Jar by Jody Folwell

Jody Naranjo Folwell is the daughter of Rose Naranjo and mother of Polly Rose & Susan Folwell. Jody, like her mother, is very creative in designing jars — both in shape and pictorially. In this marvelous jar, she has depicted five birds flying in various directions — upwards, downwards, and lateral flight positions. Zigzag lines fill the void spaces. The rim of the jar slopes.

Jody was born in 1942 at Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico. She is a renowned Pueblo potter and artist. Part of the Naranjo family, Folwell is celebrated as an avant-garde Pueblo potter, often called the "first impressionist potter" for her innovative, off-round, uneven-lipped, asymmetrical polished pots that incorporate social commentary and satire.

In 1984, she collaborated with Chiricahua Apache sculptor Bob Haozous on a pot that won Best of Show at the Santa Fe Indian Market. Her work is featured in the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

Folwell's daughters, Susan and Polly Rose, are also accomplished potters. The Heard Museum showcased their work together in the 2009-2010 exhibition "Mothers & Daughters: Stories in Clay." Folwell's mother, Rose Naranjo, was a respected Santa Clara Pueblo potter.

Of her pottery, Folwell says, "I think of each piece as an artwork that has something to say on its own, a statement about life. I see myself as both a contemporary potter and a traditionalist, and combining the two is very emotional and exciting to me."

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Santa Clara Pueblo Stone Polished Seed Jar by Jody Folwell is from a client of Adobe Gallery

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

TAGS:  Rose Naranjo, Polly Rose Folwell, Susan Folwell, Santa Clara Pueblo, Southwest Indian Pottery, Jody Folwell