This is a striking kiva bowl by Toni Roller.  She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and is known for her traditional shapes and exquisite stone-polished pottery.   The shape of this bowl is typically called a “kiva bowl” at Santa Clara Pueblo. The sides are carved into terraced steps.  This entire piece is fully polished!  Inside, outside,and the tops of the step designs.  This is always more difficult as adding more wet slip to the inside it can seep through to the outside and ruin that polished area.  But if it is achieved correctly, the fully polished surface is stunning, as on this piece!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Toni Roller”.   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.

Toni has said of her traditional style of pottery:

“It’s important to start from scratch and do it the old way. People should understand how difficult the process is and why it takes so long to make pottery. If you are going to be a potter, you are not going to mind all the hard work involved in gathering the clay and the materials. It’s time-consuming, but in the end you are so happy to have this clay that just started as chunks in rock form. Then, coming out with the beautiful final pieces of pottery. How did it come about? With your hands and patience. That is such a good feeling.” Toni Roller, Spoken Through Clay