This is a striking large water jar by Linda Tafoya-Sanchez.  The jar is coil-built with a round body and elongated neck.  The neck and lower area of the jar are each carved with 32 swirling “waves” for a total of 64.  Each of the waves is fully polished!  The result is striking and beautiful in how they catch the light.  Around the center of the jar are seven swirling avanyu.  Each avanyu is highly polished and fully carved. Note how they revolve in direction as the jar is turned as if they are in motion!  She has inset a turquoise in the eye in each avanyu.  Surround the avanyu medallions, she has slipped the jar with mica. She said she uses five or six layers of mica to get such an even tonation.  As the water serpent (avanyu) represents the water, here Linda has portrayed it as if it is flowing through the river.  Note as well the square shape of the head on Linda’s avanyu, which is inspired by the work of her father, Lee Tafoya.  The style of the jar has a very modernist appearance and yet is classic in traditional design elements.  The jar is fired a deep, glassy black.  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