This is an intricately painted jar by Mark Tahbo.  He was known not just for his painted pottery, but especially for the blushes on his pottery from the firing.  This jar is from 2000-1.  It is coil-built, stone polished, and thin-walled.  Mark would often create his own stories about the designs he painted on his pottery. This design is an evolution from the classic “eagle tail” design.  I remember Mark would say that on this piece, the bird would walk up to the jar and fall in, leaving only its tail feathers showing!  It was the feathers that he would then paint so that each was different and he could show off the numerous variations of designs in his repertoire.  On this jar, each of the 16 feathers is a different design, color, or pattern.  The opposite side has a lizard, which has stuck his head into the jar to see what the bird is doing!  Definitely Mark’s sense of humor!  In terms of coloration, note the purple or mauve coloration on one of the feathers.  I remember when Mark first found the mauve or purple-colored clay.  It came from near First Mesa and he said that if he polished it, it would turn red, so he always left it matte.  Not only did it create visual contrast and new coloration, but the matte stands out against the blushes and natural color of the clay.  This jar was traditionally fired to create the blushes on the surface.  It is signed on the bottom “Mark Tahbo” and a pipe for Tobacco Clan.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  It is an exciting and visually dynamic piece of his pottery, especially at this size!

For traditional Hopi-Tewa pottery, there are no shortcuts. I feel that the younger people, they aren’t as fortunate as I was. I was born at a time where I was with the elder women who revived Hopi-Tewa pottery and brought it to this level. I learned the old style. From how to get the clay, how to process it, from start to finish. They were simple, maybe even crude ways, but they worked. Today, it seems like the storytelling is almost gone. I always tell younger potters that it’s one of the most important foundations we can have as Hopi-Tewa potters. A story. Something to lean back on. If you don’t have that root or that foundation, you have nothing. You are just floating on your own. Soak it all in and listen to all the old stories that you can. There are just no shortcuts. You have to learn the hard way and have patience.”  Mark Tahbo, Spoken Through Clay