Mary Cain was a daughter of Christina Naranjo and a granddaughter of SaraFina Tafoya.  She was known for her classic style Santa Clara pottery.  I’m not sure if we have ever had one of her pieces this size come back into the gallery.  It is a very large double shoulder water jar.  The entire piece is fully polished. The double shoulders are always more difficult to create with coil built pottery.  However, they create more angles for the light to hit on the surface, adding to the overall dynamic appearance of the piece.  The bear paws are symbolic of a story where the bears led the Pueblo people to water during a drought.  On this piece the paws are carved into the clay and then polished, along with the rest of the jar. The entire piece is fired a deep black.  It is signed on the bottom, “Mary Cain”.    It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.   The last photo is one of the jar next to a contemporary piece by her daughter, Linda Cain.  It was interesting to contrast two pieces with bear paws and the difference in size and style.