Water Jar
Jar, Santa Clara Blackware. Coiled.Reduction fired. Burnished slip. Globular body; slightly flared, tall neck; slightly flared rim with flattened lip. Shoulder has modeled raised band encircling it. Vessel surface completely smooth except for 3 impressed stylized bear paw designs evenly spaced on neck just above shoulder. Base is signed "Margaret".
- Object: Water Jar
- Artist: Margaret Tafoya
- Circa: Mid 20th century
- Dimensions: 6" diameter 13 1/2" high
- Culture Area: Southwest
- Cultural Group: Santa Clara
- Cultural Context: Pueblo water jars often are decorated with symbols of water and rain. The raised band around the shoulders of the vessel may represent a rainbow, a widespread symbol of rain among the Pueblos. In Santa Clara pueblo, the bear paw print is symbolic of water. As Santa Clara people say, a bear once led them to water during a devastating drought. According to the Museum of the Pueblo Acoma, the vessels themselves may be viewed as clouds full of water and when they break, people say "rejoice and let it rain". (Brody, 1990: 51)
- Donor: Henry, Mrs. Hilda
- Catalog #: 78.469