This is a tall jar by Betty Tafoya.  She was taught to make pottery by her husband, Lee Tafoya, who was a son of Margaret Tafoya.  While they often collaborated on pottery throughout his career, she also made pieces on her own.  This jar has a round shoulder that turns into the rim. The piece is deeply carved with cloud, rain, and lightning designs. The entire piece is fully polished including the neck and the base.  It’s exciting to see a piece at this scale with such strong designs and great polishing. The jar was fired a deep, glossy black.  Betty was well known for the polishing on her pottery and taught that artistic skill to her daughter, Linda Tafoya.  The photos at the end are of Betty and Lee Tafoya, courtesy of Stephanie Tafoya, their granddaughter.  The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Betty Tafoya”.