This is possibly one of the largest pieces made by Mary Ester Archuleta.  This tall jar is fully polished on the base and the rim. Note the large amount of polished surface on this jar! Near the rim there is a large band of incised designs.  They are carved into the clay and then slipped with mica.  There are rain clouds, lighting, geometric patterns and more.  It is a wonderfully complex jar.  It certainly captures the San Juan incised style. It was this style which Mary helped to revive in the 1970s when she married into San Juan Pueblo.  Mary is the second youngest daughter of Margaret Tafoya.  It was her marriage at San Juan and reviving pottery there, which reminded Margaret about how she learned to polish the tan slip when her brother had married and moved there years earlier.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Mary E. Archuleta.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. 

“Revival Rising” Ohkay Owingeh Pottery 1930s-60s