Red Starr (Sioux) was married to Santa Clara potter Harriet Tafoya and learned to make Santa Clara pottery.  This is one of his few fully polished and designed clay bears.  The bear has a sunface design on the back.  There are feathers along the back of the bear and two feathers on the head.  The bear has coral-inset eyes.  There are coral, lapis, and shell hei-shi beads across the back and neck of the piece.   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  It is signed on the leg in the clay, “Red Starr”.

Brand

Red Starr, Elmer (1937-2018)

Elmer Red Starr

Elmer Red Starr (1937-2018) was a Sioux potter who was married to Harriet Tafoya (a sister of Annie Baca) of Santa Clara Pueblo and learned to make pottery from her. Each piece of his pottery is highly polished and intricately incised, typically with animal motifs. He began making pottery in the 1980's.