WOW! This is an extraordinary large double-shoulder jar by Linda Tafoya-Sanchez.  Let me start off by saying that this is one piece that is so exciting in person relative to the shape, polish, and size.  The piece has a round body and a double-rounded shoulder that extends up to the rim. Around the neck are 45 thin carved feathers, and the tips are rounded out. Around the body of the jar, there are 45 more feathers that extend across the surface.  Linda said she had thought about polishing every other feather but decided to take the time to polish all 90 feathers on the jar, and the result was visually striking!  The roundness of the piece and the flow of the lines with the highly polished surface are exceptional.  The base is also fully polished.  Add to that the lid is in the shape of a handle and the top of the handle has a carved avanyu!  The avanyu is also polished, while the remainder of the lid is slipped with mica, but the edge is polished to match the jar.  The piece was traditionally fired to a glassy black coloration.  The avanyu on the lid has a single inset piece of coral.  Congrats to Linda for taking the time to create such a creative and beautiful jar! It is signed on the bottom, “Linda Tafoya-Sanchez”.

The story of the Water Serpent as told by Toni Roller:

“The water serpent, we were told, it represents life. It represents the water, which is important to life, to people, plants, and animals. The water design is very important to put on pots to honor that serpent. We used to ask, “What is the water serpent?” We were told the water serpent is in the rivers, the big rivers. At one time, when my mother was young, there were no bridges to cross over the Rio Grande. They were always told that if you see a water serpent, your life is going to be long. She did see one laying on the rock. She said it was huge, snakelike, and she said she just stared at it and couldn’t holler for anyone else to see. If you look at the serpent design, it has all the weather designs. The lightning on the tongue of the serpent, and there are mountain designs and rain designs and all the weather elements. .”  Toni Roller, Spoken Through Clay