Signed Santa Clara Pueblo Carved Blackware Vase, Juanita Pueblo, Mid 20th C.

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Signed Santa Clara Pueblo Carved Blackware Pottery Vase, Juanita Pueblo, Mid-20th Century

This sculptural blackware pottery vase is a refined … Read more Signed Santa Clara Pueblo Carved Blackware Pottery Vase, Juanita Pueblo, Mid-20th Century

This sculptural blackware pottery vase is a refined example of the Santa Clara Pueblo school, signed on the base “Juanita Pueblo.” Executed in the classic Santa Clara tradition, the vessel is hand-coiled, stone-polished, and reduction-fired to achieve its deep graphite-black surface with subtle tonal variation.

The form is compact and powerful, with a rounded body and gently flared rim, animated by deeply carved abstract motifs that wrap rhythmically around the shoulder. These incised designs—both geometric and organic—are characteristic of Santa Clara carving, where matte recessed areas contrast against highly burnished polished surfaces. The restrained palette and sculptural emphasis reflect the modernist evolution of Pueblo pottery during the mid-20th century, when artists explored abstraction while remaining rooted in ancestral techniques.

Signed examples bearing a first name and “Pueblo” are typical of Santa Clara potters of this period and confirm Native authorship rather than later studio or tourist production. The vase is entirely handmade without the use of molds, fired traditionally, and finished with meticulous hand polishing.

A strong and authentic work from the Santa Clara Pueblo carving tradition, suitable for collectors of Native American pottery, modernist ceramics, or sculptural decorative arts.

Dimensions:
6.5” H x 6.5” diameter; 4.5” diameter opening See less