jar with Avanyu design

Legoria Tafoya, artist

Cultural affiliations: Santa Clara

1911–1984, active 1930–1984

jar with Avanyu design, 1970s

Where object was made: New Mexico, United States

Material/technique: carving; ceramic; burnishing

Dimensions:
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 17.5 x 16 cm
Object Height/Diameter (Height x Diameter): 6 7/8 x 6 5/16 in

Credit line: Gift of Forrest E. Jones

Accession number: 2007.4268

On display: Kress Gallery

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This blackware vessel made by Santa Clara potter Legoria Tafoya illustrates some similarities with San Ildefonso pottery. Both techniques contrast reflective burnished surfaces with areas of matte black, and both depict important mythological beings, such as the water serpent Avanyu seen here. This example also demonstrates one major difference: the use of carving and incising to create three-dimensional designs.