This is an impressive new large jar by LuAnn Tafoya.  She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and learned to make the large vessels from her mother.  Take a moment and look at the shape.  While there is a narrow base, the jar has a round shoulder and an elongated neck.  The neck and base are fully polished.  The center of the jar is carved with a cloud mesa and lightning design.  Note how the lightning design almost looks like the head of the avanyu!  The jar is very highly stone polished.  It is difficult to photograph a piece with such a high shine!  However, I have taken a number of photos to show both the shape, polish, and design in various lightning. The jar was traditionally fired a deep black coloration.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “LuAnn Tafoya”.  A classic shape and classic design.

“When I was twelve, I remember one Saturday morning my mom said, “We are going to polish today.” I looked at her, and I said, “Polish today? I’ve never polished a pot.” She put up a table, and I sat on one side and she sat on the other side. She started putting the clay slip on some small pieces. As soon as it was ready for me to polish, she would hand me the small pot. She kept putting the slip onto six small bowls. It was like a rotation of working on it. After she put the slip on then I would start polishing, so we keep on going. That’s where I remember starting to work on the pots.”  LuAnn Tafoya, Spoken Through Clay