This new large jar by Linda Tafoya-Sanchez.  It is striking in design and polish.  The jar has a tall shape with a fluted rim and a rainbow ridge around the shoulder. The rainbow ridge is deeply carved and fully polished.  The neck of the jar is slipped with mica.  Around the sides of the jar are medallions representing the four seasons. There is a snowflake, flower, sun, and autumn leaf.  They are deeply carved into the clay and stone polished. Near the base, Linda has carved step designs, and below are carved turtles.  Each turtle is stone polished to a high shine.  Why the turtles?

“The turtles are the prayer and hope to bring some rain.  There is a Turtle Dance they do in San Juan (Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo). You will see the turtle shells on the backs of their legs. Sometimes they don’t stay in the same direction and they start twisting, just like I’ve placed them in various directions on the pot.” Linda Tafoya-Sanchez, Spoken Through Clay

Note as well that the area around the four medallions is slipped with mica, while the area around the turtles is matte.  There is not just a difference in how the light reflects off the surface, but also the texture and feel of holding the jar.  The piece is a complex flow of various designs, clays, and textures. It is signed on the bottom, “Linda Tafoya-Sanchez”.