Tafoya, Betty – 10″ Wide Bowl with Carved Clouds (1973)

This is a striking large bowl by Betty Tafoya.  She was taught to make pottery by her husband, Lee Tafoya, who was a son of Margaret Tafoya.  While they often collaborated on pottery throughout his career, she also made pieces on her own.  This large bowl has a low shoulder and sloping sides.  The designs are carved above the shoudler of the jar. There are clouds and lightning patterns encircling the piece. They are deeply carved into the clay.  The entire piece is fully polished including the neck and the base.  It’s exciting to see a piece at this scale with such strong designs and great polishing. The bowl was fired a deep, glossy black.  Betty was well known for the polishing on her pottery and taught that artistic skill to her daughter, Linda Tafoya.  The photos at the end are of Betty and Lee Tafoya, courtesy of Stephanie Tafoya, their granddaughter.  The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Betty Tafoya”.

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Tafoya, Betty (1933-1988)

Betty Tafoya was the wife of Lee Tafoya, a son of noted potter Margaret Tafoya. Their children include Linda Tafoya, who is also a well-known potter. Lee taught Betty how to make pottery and they often collaborated on pottery throughout his career. These two bowls are signed by Betty alone. Betty's pottery can be found in numerous books, including "Born of Fire".