Youngblood, Mela – Water Jar with Feathers and Avanyu (1976)

This is a classic wide shoulder jar by Mela Youngblood.  She was a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and began making pottery in the late 1960s.  She quickly achieved a distinctive style for her work.  Each piece of her work was coil-built, carved, and stone-polished.  This jar is from 1979.  It has a round shoulder and a short neck.  The jar is carved around the center with 22 feathers.  The straight, linear style of the feathers, accentuates the bold shape of the jar.  The top and bottom sections, along with the feathers, are all stone-polished to a high shine. The jar was traditionally fired black. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  It is signed on the bottom, “Mela Youngblood”.

Brand

Youngblood, Mela (1931-1990)

Mela Youngblood began making pottery in the late 1960s and quickly achieved a distinctive style for her work. As an artist, Mela took the process of making her pottery very seriously. She decided that each piece she made had to be perfect, a trait which she passed on to her children, Nathan Youngblood and Nancy Youngblood. Mela was a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and the mother of Nathan Youngblood and Nancy Youngblood. Of all of Margaret's daughters, she was the first to create a storage jar that survived the firing process. Mela made pottery for such a short time, so it is always exciting to see her distinctive pieces of influential pottery!