Frances M. Chavarria (1906-2000)

Frances M. Chavarria of Santa Clara Pueblo was married to Antonio Chavarria. She was actively making pottery from 1930 to 1990, including functional wares. Functional wares at Santa Clara existed continuously until around 1880, at which time, commercial wares were easily available in Espanola, New Mexico, the town only 6 miles from Santa Clara Pueblo.  In the late 1930s, another form of utilitarian wares developed—this time intended for non-pueblo households in Espanola, Santa Fe, Taos and other towns of the state.  Candy dishes, pitchers, salt and pepper shakers, sugar and creamer sets, and candle sticks, such as this pair, were among the popular ones.  There developed a significant curio market for such items from many of the pueblos.  Anglo and Hispanic households found those items to be good accent pieces for use and for display.  The market for these items is still strong.