This is an extraordinary collaborative jar by Susan Folwell and Angie Yazzie.  Sussan is renowned for her creative and innovative pottery and Angie Yazzie for her distinctive forms and thin-walled pottery.  This jar was built by Angie and fired a striking black coloration.  The rim of the jar is her famous “cloud” design with the carved edges.  The jar is thin-walled and note how it dips down on the shoulder as it rises to the neck!  That is where Susan did her painted designs.  For the imagery on this jar, Susan has focused on re-interpreting the work of the Taos Society of Artists. These figures are inspired by a painting by Bert Geer Phillips, one of the founding members of the Taos Society of Artists.  Susan says of this piece,

“Greer is known for paintings of peasant scenes in Europe.  He depicts Taos villagers in a noble way. My intent was to have the image inside the bowl so that the painting was framed by the pot itself.  I wanted to capture the same nobility in the Corn Maidens with their baskets and all the colors of the corn”.

Having a jar by Angie (Taos) and Susan (Santa Clara), reflecting both the culture and history of the area is dynamic.  The painted are is subtle, as Susan said it took time for her to figure out exactly what to paint on such a majestic jar.  The coloration works perfectly on this piece!  The jar is signed by both artists on the bottom.