The is a classic bowl by LuAnn Tafoya.  She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and learned to make large vessels from her mother.  This bowl is coil-built, stone polished, and traditionally fired. It is a classic round shape and carved with a “walking bear paw” design.  This is a traditional design often used by Margaret Tafoya in her pottery.  It is meant to represent the path of the bear walking.  The entire piece is fully polished and fired a deep black.  The inside of the rim of the jar is also fully polished.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “LuAnn Tafoya”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.

“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