NATIVE AMERICAN JEMEZ POTTERY VASE BY BRENDA TAFOYA

Description

Award-winning contemporary potter Brenda Tafoya from Jemez Pueblo hand crafted this pottery vase.  Brenda used her “melon cut” style with sgraffito design to create this breathtaking vessel.  At 10 years old Brenda began making pottery, learning from her  mother, famed potter Vangie Tafoya.  Brenda uses three different colors of slip to create brilliant patterns in her pieces.  Her style of work is distinctive often incorporating sgraffito designs of serpents, hummingbirds, butterflies, and owls , “melon cut” style, and her trademark kiva steps.  A great addition to your Native American art or pottery collection.  Signed

4  3/8” tall x 4  1/8″ long x 4  1/8″

Artist card included

Within the Jemez Pueblo there are many exceptional potters.  The work is generally characterized by the buff and red clays used, and the range of styles and subjects.   Storyteller, figures, sgrafitto designs, wedding vases, and melon pots are a few of their favorites.  Before the arrival of the Spanish, Jemez was known for its traditional black-on-white ware, but production of this type of pottery died out in the early 18th century.  There was a revival of Jemez pottery-making in the early 20th century inspired and influenced by Zia pottery designs, but it was not until the 1960’s and 70’s that a significant number of Jemez potters began producing high-quality work using traditional methods.

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