Mary Ester is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and a sister of LuAnn Tafoya, Mela Youngblood, Toni Roller and Shirley Tafoya.  In the 1960's she married and moved to San Juan Pueblo and began making pottery.  Her mother told her of the early San Juan designs she had seen, and Mary was inspired to put them on her pottery.  She was among the first to help revive San Juan pottery in the 1970's.  She has won numerous awards for her pottery, including "Best of Show" at the Eight Northern Indian Market.  While she makes pieces in both a Santa Clara and a San Juan style, this bowl is classic in style for San Juan Pueblo. The rim and base are fully polished red.  The central section has a single band of designs incised into the clay.  What makes this piece unique is that the central section is fully polished tan in contrast to the red slipped areas.  The designs include rain and eagle feather patterns.  This is a beautiful bowl, both in form, coloration and design.  It is very exciting to see new work from Mary, and we look forward to seeing new pieces in the future!

7"w x 5"h

Annie Baca is a daughter of noted potter Cresencia Tafoya, and the sister of Harriet Tafoya and Pauline Martinez.  Annie is known for her miniature pottery, which is beautifully formed, highly polished and tightly painted.  This miniature bowl on the left has a square mouth and painted with rain cloud designs.  The bowl on the right has a sharp shoulder with the designs painted up towards the lip.  The bowl has a feather and geometric pattern as the design.  Both are highly polished.  Annie has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and Gallup Ceremonials. 

Left:      Bowl with Square Mouth            2"w x 1"h            $100.00 - SOLD

Right:    Bowl with Feather Pattern          4"w x 2.5"h         $250.00

Jerome Ebelacker (b. 1977)- Santa Clara  

Jerome began making pottery several years ago and then quit to be a fire-fighter.  He learned to make pottery from his father, Richard Ebelacker and he is a great-grandson of Margaret Tafoya.  Jerome has focused on traditional forms for his pottery.  He was inspired to make this jar after seeing one that his father made this past fall.  The jar has a mountain pattern and interestingly there is a similar design on a jar by Margaret Tafoya from the 1970's below.  On this piece, the area below the design is polished red while the area above is polished tan.  This is the first time Jerome has polished tan on his pottery, as this is one of the most difficult techniques to master in polishing.  It is difficult to get the tan to achieve a high shine and also difficult to fire. The jar has turned out with an elegant appearance as the contrast of the red and tan are visually striking. Jerome certainly has an extraordinary sense of form and proportion in his pottery.   He is definitely an "up and coming" potter from Santa Clara in the traditional style of pottery, and one to watch! 

8"w x 9"h

$2800.00

Jerome Ebelacker (b. 1977)- Santa Clara  

Jerome is the elder son of Richard Ebelacker and great-grandson of Margaret Tafoya.  He has only been making pottery for a few years, learning from his father.  His pottery is focused on traditional shapes and classic forms.  This stunning double handle jar was inspired by a piece by Sara Fina Tafoya.  Technically, this is a difficult piece to create, with the wide shoulder and the double handles.  They are have an animal effigy form, often seen on Santa Clara pottery of the early 1900's.  Note the beautiful symmetry of the jar and the handles!  As well, this piece has a high, even polish which emphasizes the shape of the vessel.  Jerome is certainly an "up and coming" potter from Santa Clara in the traditional style of pottery, and one to watch! 

12.75"w x 12"h

$4500.00 - SOLD

Richard Ebelacker - Santa Clara  

Richard Ebelacker is renown for his large scale pottery, being one of the few to make storage jars which almost reach three feet in height!  He is a son of noted potter Virginia Ebelacker and a grandson of Margaret Tafoya.  This is a low shoulder jar with a spiral cloud design carved into the clay. The high polish is a beautiful complement to the form.  Richard has won awards for his pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market every year he has entered his work.  He is among the most sought after of Santa Clara potters and work of this elegance certainly reflects the calibre of his art!

9"w x 9"h

$3000.00

Virginia Ebelacker (1925-2001) - Santa Clara  

It seems that it has been a long time since we have had any work by Virginia Ebelacker.  She was the first child of Margaret Tafoya (1904-2001) and a matriarch of a family of renown potters including her son, Richard Ebelacker.  As a child, Virginia remembered helping her grandmother, Sara Fina Tafoya, polish her large storage jars.  She worked in Los Alamos and only began making pottery full time in the late 1960's.  She quickly developed a reputation for her large scale pottery and amazing polish!  This wedding vase is an outstanding piece of her pottery.  The shape is reminiscent of Margaret's style, but the body is very round and the polishing is simply stunning!  There are bear paws impressed into the clay on both sides and then fully polished.  The wedding vase is in exceptional condition, with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Work of hers this size and condition is always a wonderful find and an important addition to any collection!

9"w x 11.25"h

$4400.00 - SOLD

Jody Folwell - Santa Clara  

Jody Folwell is a daughter of Rose Naranjo and the mother of potters Polly Rose Folwell and Susan Folwell.  Jody was an early innovator in the 1970's, when she began firing her pottery with brown colorations and utilizing non-traditional design elements.  This jar is a classic example of her pottery.  It is fully polished and etched.  The shape has an asymmetrical rim and the design around the neck is a water serpent (avanyu) on one side and a feather pattern on the other side.  Below the shoulder of the jar, the entire piece is etched with her signature "x's".  Note as well the firing, as the rim is a dark black while the remainder of the jar is a deep reddish brown.  Jody's pottery can be found in museums around the country and her work has been featured in numerous books, including "The Art of Clay" and "Legacy of Generations".

4.5"w x 6"h

$2200.00

Jody Folwell - Santa Clara  

Jody Folwell is a daughter of Rose Naranjo and the mother of potters Polly Rose Folwell and Susan Folwell.  Jody was an early innovator in the 1970's, when she began firing her pottery with brown colorations and utilizing non-traditional design elements. This jar is a stunning example of her pottery and combines two distinctive aspects of her work.  The jar itself is polished from the neck to the shoulder while the remainder is matte.  The firing has created a darker area near the neck and base, while the bowl itself has a brownish red coloration.  On the surface she has stamped horses as the design, using a stamp and clay.  There is a beautiful sense of proportion in this asymmetrical vessel.   Jody's pottery can be found in museums around the country and her work has been featured in numerous books, including "The Art of Clay" and "Legacy of Generations".

10"w x 10"h

$4800.00

Susan Folwell - Santa Clara    

Few potters have such an artistic range as Susan Folwell.  As a daughter of Jody Folwell and the nice of numerous renown artists such as Nora Naranjo-Morse and Dolly Naranjo, she holds a family trait of creativity and innovation.  This jar reveals a growing complexity in the technical aspects of her pottery.  This bowl has polished and matte surfaces, etched and carved sections.  One side has a bird inside a medallion, surrounded by stone polished feathers. The other side has a woodpecker sitting on a tree branch.  The top has a single medallion with tan polished feathers.  Surrounding the bird in the tree are sections which are carved in a linear manner, almost creating the appearance of ledge-rock.  The flow of the design and the complexity of the incised and carved designs are phenomenal!  Susan has won numerous awards for her work and has been featured in several books, including NDN, Free Spirit and others.

4.25"w x 5.5"h

$1500.00 - SOLD

Gloria Garcia is a daughter of Petra Gutierrez and a sister of potters Minnie Vigil, Lois Gutierrez and the mother of Jason Garcia.  Gloria is known for her intricately incised miniature pottery. Here are two beautiful examples of her pottery.  Both pieces are highly polished and the designs are etched into the clay.  The bowl on the left has a series of panels alternating between realistic bears and Mimbres style bears. The vertical bands separating the panels are also etched with bear paws.  The bowl on the right has an incised avanyu encircling the bowl. There is a single piece of round turquoise inset for the eye of the water serpent.  Gloria has won numerous awards for her pottery over the years at Santa Fe Indian Market and has work in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.

Left:        Bowl with Bears                               2.5"w x 2"h           $600.00

Right:     Bowl with Avanyu                          1.75"w x 2"h          $200.00

Tina Garcia was a sister of Greg Garcia and was known for her use of classic Santa Clara form.  This is a beautiful example of her pottery.  It is "gourd pot". The shoulder has a series of indentations which are meant to represent the gourd shards traditionally used to scrape and mold the pottery.  The bowl is highly polished and beautifully fired red.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

7"w x 5.25"h

$900.00 - SOLD

Denny Gutierrez is renown for his unique take on a classic form.  Inspired by the traditional rounded "melon bowls", Denny has flatened the rib, creating a faceted appearance.  This jar is highly polished and each facet or flat edge perfectly reflects the light as they swirl down from the neck to the base. Simple and elegant!

3.5"w x 3.25"h

$350.00

Lois Gutierrez is one of the few potters at Santa Clara pueblo who continues to create polychrome pottery.  Each of the different colors on this piece are derived from different clays!  It is amazing to think of the time to find different clays to create up to the five different colors on this bowl.  The bowl has two horned toads as the design, each painted with a spiral pattern on its back.  Lois is the sister of noted potters Gloria Garcia (Goldenrod), Minnie Vigil and Thelma Talachy.  She has won numerous awards for her pottery, including "Best of Show" at the Santa Fe Indian Market in the early 1980's.

4"w x 4"h

$500.00

Kelli Little Katchina is a daughter of Lucy Yearflower and a granddaughter of Camilio Tafoya.  This is a beautiful seedpot with and incised avanyu and sunface as the design.  The designs encircle the entire piece!  The contrast of the polished surface and the matte background makes the imagery seem to jump off the piece.  Note as well that the entire grey background area has been fully etched!

4.5"w x 4"h

$600.00 - SOLD

Rosemary is a daughter of Joseph Lonewolf and is known for her intricately etched seedpots.  Here are two pieces of her work which show how her pottery has progressed over the years.  The seedpot on the left is from 1978 and is highly polished and amazingly thin walled! The design on one side is a rabbit and butterfly while on the other is a sunface at the top with rain and cloud patterns etched throughout the piece.  The various shades of red and tan reflect different levels of etching into the clay!  The seedpot on the right is a more recent piece with a wolf head on the top of the seedpot and additional stylized wolves encircling the piece.  The white is an additional clay slip added after the firing. Rosemary is renown not only for he pottery, but also for her large scale installations, including designing a bridge in Tucson, Arizona!  These two miniatures are wonderful examples of her skill and creativity in clay. 

Left:        Tall Seedpot with Rabbit            3"w x 3.5"h        $900.00

Right:     Seedpot with Wolves                   2"w x 1.5"h         $600.00

Grace Medicine Flower - Santa Clara    NEW

Grace Medicine Flower was among the first in the early 1970's to begin using the "sgraffito" technique to etch designs into the clay.  She did this along with her brother, Joseph Lonewolf, and her father, Camilio Tafoya.  For only a few years between 1970 and 1974, Grace did collaborative pieces with her father.  He would make the pottery and then she would polish the pieces and etch the designs.  This is a very unusual formed bowl, which was made in 1972.  It has two holes, creating a small "handle".  On either side of the handle are two medallions, which encompass an etched "Yei" style figure which extends across the handle.  The red and tan areas have been double fired, which was an early technique in their pottery.  This piece is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is amazing to see how far Grace's work has evolved in thirty years!

4.5"w x 3"h

$1400.00 - SOLD

Grace Medicine Flower - Santa Clara    

Grace Medicine Flower was among the first in the early 1970's to begin using the "sgraffito" technique to etch designs into the clay.  She did this along with her brother, Joseph Lonewolf, and her father, Camilio Tafoya.  Over the years her work has evolved in amazing new directions.  This bowl brings together so many aspects of her pottery.  The basic design is the basket pattern, etched into the clay.  The bowl is built on an angle so that the opening is facing the viewer.  There are carved, incised and sgraffito areas, along with polished, matte and polychrome surfaces.  The medallion on the bowl has a dragonfly as the central image.  The dragonflies are in relief near the base of the bowl and also on the bottom!  The different colors are all derived from native clay slips!  This vessel is an incredible blend of contemporary art and traditional imagery and techniques.  Grace is certainly doing many, many fewer pieces these days, but each one is simply outstanding!

5"w x 4"h

$6400.00

Grace Medicine Flower - Santa Clara    

It is not often that Grace finishes such a large vessel, let alone one with such beautiful symmetry and shape.  Grace Medicine Flower was among the first in the early 1970's to begin using the "sgraffito" technique to etch designs into the clay.  She did this along with her brother, Joseph Lonewolf, and her father, Camilio Tafoya.  Over the years her work has evolved in amazing new directions.  This large jar has a narrow base leading up to a wide top and a carved rim.  The entire top half of the jar is fully polished, and then carved and etched with medallions and geometrics.  There are two polished panels extending down from the shoulder to the base, which have a series of stylized dragonflies as the designs.  Surrounding these two panels are carved sections, which represent the dance or prayer wands, used at Santa Clara Pueblo.  They are highlighted with different clay slips and micaceous clays.  This dynamic vessel is an incredible blend of contemporary art and traditional imagery and techniques.  Grace is certainly doing many, many fewer pieces these days, but each one is simply outstanding!

9"w x 9.5"h

$18,000.00

Grace Medicine Flower - Santa Clara    

Grace Medicine Flower was among the first in the early 1970's to begin using the "sgraffito" technique to etch designs into the clay.  She did this along with her brother, Joseph Lonewolf, and her father, Camilio Tafoya.  Over the years her work has evolved in amazing new directions.  This long neck jar is from the mid-1980's.  There are three medallions encircling the bowl.  One has a deer looking straight on, while the other two have a female deer lying down and another with the deer in motion.  There is also a single Mimbres style deer etched into the clay between two of the medallions.  Wow, for such a small jar, it is amazingly full of design!

2.25"w x 3.5"h

$2500.00

Grace Medicine Flower - Santa Clara  

Here are two exceptional lidded pieces by Grace Medicine Flower.  Grace is the daughter of Camilio Tafoya, the niece of Margaret Tafoya and the sister of Joseph Lonewolf.  She began making etched pottery in the early 1970's and has become not only an innovator in the style, but a creative force in Pueblo pottery today.  These three vessels are all from the late 1980's, and each represents a different style of her work. The jar in the center has a male deer on the front medallion.  The deer is in motion, running and surrounded by prayer feather patterns.  On the back side is a doe, sitting and surrounded by plants and clouds.  The stopper for the jar is in the shape of a prayer feather.  The third vessel is a lidded jar with a carved avanyu as the main design.  There are two additional medallion which have hummingbird designs etched into the clay.  The lid fits perfectly, even if the vessel is turn up-side-down!  All three pieces are in perfect condition and are exciting examples of her pottery skill and creativity.   She has won numerous awards and been featured in books and magazines.  She most recently was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by SWAIA!

Left:          Lidded Jar w/ Deer          3.25"w x 4"h                $3600.00

Right:       Lidded Jar w/ Avanyu    2.5"w x 5.25"h             $3800.00

Jennifer and Mike are among the most exciting young potters working today.  Jennifer Moquino is a daughter of Ray and Emily Tafoya while Mike is a son of Corn Moquino.  The use of realism in their imagery has revitalized the style of sgraffito pottery originated by Joseph Lonewolf in the 1970's.  This small jar is the first time they have etched ducks into the surface of a piece.  Note the intricacy of the ducks, their movement and even the little dragonflies in the upper part of the jar. It is always the little details which make Jennifer's pottery so spectacular.  The contrast of tightly etched designs and the beautiful polished surface are stunning.  They have won numerous awards for their pottery and are featured in books such as "Talking with the Clay", "Crafted to Perfection" and "Breaking the Mold". 

2"w x 3"h

$800.00 - SOLD

Dusty Naranjo is a granddaughter of noted potter Rose Naranjo, the daughter of Bernice Naranjo and the sister of Forest Naranjo.  Dusty is well known for her tightly detailed pottery, with the imagery etched into the clay.  Each piece is outdoor fired and typically her work is fired to a brown coloration, instead of the more classic red or black.  These are three beautiful example of her pottery.  The jar on the left has three different butterflies as the design.  There is a small, asymmetrical rim on this highly polished vessel.  The jar in the center has a series of four fish, encircling the shoulder of the vessel.  The area below the shoulder is fully polished and etched, while the neck is matte.  The colorations vary throughout this piece from the firing.  The seedpot above right is highly polished and fully designed with dragonflies and geometrci patterns.  The precision of the etching complements the form and accentuates the various depths of the design into the clay.  Dusty has won numerous awards for her pottery and is certainly one of the exciting young innovative potters working today.

Left:            Jar w/ Butterflies                3.5"w x 2.5"h            $200.00 - SOLD

Center:       Jar w/ Fish                           3.75"w x 4"h             $400.00 - SOLD

Right:        Seedpot w/ Dragonflies    3.75"w x 2"h             $200.00 - SOLD

Forest Naranjo is a son of noted potter Bernice Naranjo, the brother of Dusty Naranjo and nephew of potters Jody Folwell and Nora Naranjo-Morse.  This jar by Forest has been been very highly polished and etched with a series of four horses encircling the body of the vessel.  The depth of the etching into the surface of the jar creates the variety of colorations found on the piece.  Note as well the appearance of the horses, which seem to have a mystical, nearly dreamlike appearance.  This is a stunning piece with an elegant balance of form and design.

3.25"w x 4.75"h

$375.00

Madeline Naranjo is the granddaughter of noted potter, Madeline Naranjo.  The younger Madeline is well known for her deeply carved pottery which is thin walled and contrasts the matte area of her carved designs with the polished surfaces.  This bowl has a series of bears as the design, encircling the piece. Note the depth of the carving and the simple elegance of her designs.   

4"w x 3"h

$350.00

Teresita Naranjo was a daughter of Christina Naranjo and a sister of Mary Cain.  She was renown for her deep carved pottery and was one of the first to carve outside the linear band designs, seen on most Santa Clara pottery.  This is a classic piece of her pottery from the 1950's.  Note how the top band of carving creates the cloud forms which are above the avanyu.  The water serpent encircles the bowl and there is a single band of carving below the avanyu itself. The bowl is a beautiful red and there is a cream colored slip in the background in contrast to the red.  This bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair and is in excellent condition. 

8"w x 5.25"h

$3600.00

Toni Roller - Santa Clara    

Toni Roller is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya (1904-2001) and a sister of noted potters LuAnn Tafoya, Shirley Tafoya, Mary Ester Archuleta and Mela Youngblood.  Toni began making pottery as a career in the early 1970's.  Her pottery always has a wonderful sense of form and design.  This wedding vase can only be described as "simple and elegant". The graceful form is a perfect complement to the near-perfect polish.  For a vessel with no design this piece is perfect.  The elongated spouts simply intensify the beauty of the polish and form.  Stunning!  Toni is committed to the precision of her pottery this piece is a perfect reflection of that commitment.  Toni has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in several books. 

7"w x 12"h

$3000.00

Toni Roller - Santa Clara    

Toni Roller is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya (1904-2001) and a sister of noted potters LuAnn Tafoya, Shirley Tafoya, Mary Ester Archuleta and Mela Youngblood.  Toni began making pottery as a career in the early 1970's.  Her pottery always has a wonderful sense of form and design.  This jar has a water serpent encircling the jar and the lid has a feather pattern.  Toni is committed to the precision of her pottery, and the carving is always crisp and even on her vessels and a perfect contrast to the polished surfaces.  Toni has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in several books. 

7"w x 6"h (w/ lid)

$1500.00

Monica Romero - Santa Clara   NEW

Monica Romero is a daughter of noted miniaturist potter Geri Naranjo.  Monica continues in the family tradition of making miniatures.  Here are three miniatures, each highly polished and then fired black. The tan on the rim is created by re-heating the piece to remove the oxidation of the black from the firing creating a "two-tone" appearance.  The designs are then etched into the clay. The seedpot on the left has a feather and cloud pattern. The one in the center has a wider shoulder and an avanyu (water serpent) around the neck and rain symbols below.  The jar on the right has a water serpent around the shoulder and cloud and rain symbols below.  Monica has won awards for her pottery and continues to develop her own unique style of pottery, while keeping her foundation in the work of her mother.

Left:             Black & Tan Seedpot w/ Feathers      .75"w x .75"h                $150.00

Center:        Black & Tan Jar w/ Rain Clouds        1"w x .75"h                   $150.00

Right:          Black & Tan Jar w/ Avanyu                 .75"w x .75"h                $150.00

Monica Romero - Santa Clara  

Monica Romero is a sister of potter Kevin Naranjo and the daughter of noted miniaturist potter Geri Naranjo.  While Monica is known for her miniatures, her larger vessels are striking in the thin walls and the high polish.  This tall jar is beautifully formed with a high shoulder and a long body.  The design around the neck is a water serpent, etched into the clay. Around the body of the piece are a turtle on one side and a butterfly on the other.  They are surrounded by a series of geometric cloud, rain and water symbols.  The precision of her etching and the contrast of the polished surface to the underlying matte areas is visually striking.  Monica has won awards for her pottery and continues to develop her own unique style of pottery, while keeping her foundation in the work of her mother.

2.5"w x 3"h

$700.00 - SOLD

Helen Shupla (1928-1985) - Santa Clara  

Helen Shupla is renown for her melon bowl form of pottery.  However, she was also one of the more innovative designers in her pottery for the time.  It is typical to see her designs where they flow seamlessly throughout the entire space of the bowl.  This piece has a very unusual style of water serpent (avanyu) as the image.  Note in the first picture how the head of the water serpent is below the tail!  It is almost always pictured with the head above the tail.  As well, the designs on the body create a variety of images as the bowl is turned.  Typical of so many pieces from the 1970's in Santa Clara pottery, the bowl is polished on the inside.  This bowl is in great condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.