Toni Roller is known for her classic shapes and exquisite stone polished pottery.  A daughter of Margaret Tafoya, Toni has developed her own distinctive style yet adhering to the traditional methods and techniques of her mother.  This tall water jar is from 1977 and it is fully polished and has a bear paw on each side.  The bear paw design is first carved into the clay and then polished (along with the rest of the jar) with a stone. Toni says of the story of the bear paw:

“The story behind the bear paw, according to my grandmother, she said that our ancestors came from Puye, from the cliffs. One time when the people were living up there, there was a drought so bad they couldn’t grow anything. They were so worried. They wondered why the bear was well fed and not thin like they are. So they tracked the bear, and the bear led them to the Rio Grande. The reason we put the bear paw on the pots is to honor the bear that saved the people, the ancestors that came to Santa Clara from Puye. That’s why now most of the Indian people live along the Rio Grande. The bear saved all our ancestors.”  Toni Roller, Spoken Through Clay

The jar was made in 1977 yet remains a classic in shape, size and design!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.