Tafoya, LuAnn – Large Red Jar with Mountain Rain Designs

11"w x 11.25"h

$ 5,000.00

The is a new large jar from LuAnn Tafoya.  She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and learned to make large vessels from her mother.  This bowl is one of her classic shapes with a wide shoulder and sloping neck.  The designs are carved into the central band of the jar.  The designs tell the story of the clouds coming in over the mountains.  After they reach the mountains, the clouds then release the rain and the sun appears behind the clouds.  As the jar is turned, the story becomes evident in the designs. The entire piece is fully polished and fired a deep red coloration.  In the recessed (carved away) areas, there is a cream-colored clay slip that is applied before the piece is fired.  The last photo shows the clay which is used to fill in the background areas.  The pottery of LuAnn Tafoya is an important continuation of the traditions of her family and the pueblo.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  LuAnn said of her pottery designs:

“My dad (Alcario) told me about the water waves and mountain designs. The straight lines mean a path, and it’s always on there.”  LuAnn Tafoya, Spoken Through Clay