This is a spectacular wide shoulder jar by Daryl Whitegeese.  He is known for his use of traditional Santa Clara shapes and designs.  This wide shape is one which his mother, LuAnn Tafoya has made famous.  I didn’t think I had seen a piece this shape by Daryl before and when I asked him he said he had made three of them, but the other two didn’t survive the firing!  The jar has a wide shoulder and it is fully polished a very deep red.  The design is a storm pattern, with clouds, rain and lightning designs.  Typically for his work, the edges are very sharp and create a strong contrast to the matte slipped background.  The jar has been traditionally fired to give it a deep, red coloration.  It was a difficult piece to photograph, so some of the lines you see on the rim in white are just reflection.  The shape and polish work perfectly to reflect the light. Daryl has won numerous awards for his pottery including “Best of Pottery” at the 2015 Heard Indian Market.’  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay. aryl Whitegeese is known for his use of traditional Santa Clara shapes and designs.  This water jar is a graceful shape with a round body and a very sharp edged rim. The neck and base are fully polished red.  The design around the center is inspired by an early red bowl by his grandmother, Margaret Tafoya.  The design is cut into the clay and has a strong angular composition as the jar is turned. The background area surrounding the carving has been scraped away to reveal the tan clay coloration.  It’s a striking visual contrast to the highly polished surface.  The smooth matte areas are always difficult to keep smooth. If they are not smooth the shadow of any indentions are readily apparent.  The jar has been traditionally fired to give it a deep, red coloration. The shape and polish work perfectly to reflect the light. Daryl has won numerous awards for his pottery including “Best of Pottery” at the 2015 Heard Indian Market.