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Medicine Flower, Grace – Jar with Deer and Rabbit (1981)

3"w x 2.5"h

$ 1,400.00

Brands:Medicine Flower, Grace (b. 1938)

This jar by Grace Medicine Flower is from 1981.  It is fully polished and etched with designs.  The jar has a wide shoulder and a short neck.  The design is a deer and rabbit.  Below them are plant designs and behind are lightly etched cloud formations.  The back of the seedpot has a very small “medicine flower” etched into the clay.  Note the additional use of a green clay slip.  The colorful clay slips were given to Grace by her brother Joseph Lonewolf.  She only used them for a short time and then when she ran out she no longer had these colors on her pottery.  However, they created a dynamic appearance in her work for a few years. Interestingly, Grace would always etch her pottery before it was fired.  It is a classic jar in both form and design.  Theis signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks restoration or repair.

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Medicine Flower, Grace (b. 1938)

grace medicine flowerGrace Medicine Flower

Grace Medicine Flower

Her name alone describes her work and her persona - Grace. Grace Medicine Flower (b.1938) is an elegant beauty among Santa Clara potters, who continues to be one of the most innovative and influential potters working today. Her intricately designed butterflies and hummingbirds remind the viewer of our delicate relationship with nature. Each piece is a reflection of her connection to the earth, the Clay Lady, and the tradition and history of the Santa Clara Pueblo. As a child, Grace was surrounded by potters such as her mother Agapita, her father Camilio Tafoya, and her aunt, Margaret Tafoya. She began to work in clay, making traditionally styled pottery. In the late 1960s, Grace and her brother Joseph were among the first on Santa Clara to start using the sgraffito technique to carve their designs into the clay. Amazingly, Grace uses a knife or a specially sharpened nail to cut and create her masterpieces. Grace recounts how her first piece of sgraffito pottery sold for $11.00, much more than her other traditional pieces. Her early pieces were signed, “Grace Hoover,” then they were signed with “Grace" and a four-petal flower. Today, she signs her work, “Grace Medicine Flower,” with a flower beneath her name. All of her work is made in the traditional coil method and then fired outdoors. Grace Medicine Flower has had significant recognition for her innovation throughout her career. Jackie Kennedy-Onassis visited her, she was invited to the White House and has pieces in collections and museums around the world. In the 1970s, Grace and Joseph were both honored with the New Mexico Medal of Honor for their contribution to Santa Clara Pueblo. In addition to these honors, Grace has won significant awards at Gallup Ceremonials and other events. Grace’s work moved from small round seed pots with incised animal designs, to larger bowls, which combine deep carving with intricately engraved sections. Her “basket weave” bowls, give the effect of an exposed basket lying just underneath the surface of the clay. To say that Grace Medicine Flower has changed the face of pueblo pottery would not be an understatement. To own one of her pieces is to own a part of history. While she produced less than 15 pieces a year, the demand among collectors for her pieces continued to rise with each new year and modern innovation.

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