Santa Clara Pueblo Blackware Pottery Ananyu 'Snake' Vase/Jar

About the Item

Beautiful small traditionally created blackware vase/vessel with snake ("Ananyu") pattern by Fidel (Native American, 1936 - 2018) and Tonita Naranjo (Native American, 1940-2007), circa 1990. Signed on bottom with "Santa Clara Pueblo" designation. Condition: It is in vey good condition with no chips, cracks, repairs, etc. There are a few very small places on the pottery where the black glossy finish is gone consistent with age/use. Size: 4"H x 3.5"D. Fidel and Tonita Naranjo of Santa Clara Pueblo were married artisans of traditional blackware pottery. Santa Clara Pueblo ?Singing Water Village?, also known as ?Village of Wild Roses? is a census-designated place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States and a federally recognized tribe of Native American Pueblo people. Santa Clara Pueblo was established circa 1550. "Some Puebloan artists, particularly ceramists, continue to represent snakes in their work. Tammy Garcia of Santa Clara Pueblo is one of them. The Avanyu appears in her clay pottery, bronze plaques, and glass pots. Though Garcia’s imagery is decidedly contemporary in form, her Avanyu incorporates classic elements used by early-20th-century Pueblo potters: a tongue that zigzags into an arrow, representing lightning, and a curled plume ending in the form of a trident. Tony Chavarria, curator of ethnology at the Laboratory of Anthropology, is a native of Santa Clara Pueblo. He noted that the tribal seal of the pueblo features the Avanyu — which technically is not a snake but more of a magical creature, he pointed out. In the Pueblo world, snakes generally are seen as helpful, such as when they eat mice and thus protect the crops, but also dangerous, as in the case of rattlesnakes, Chavarria said. Native people treat snakes with respect and caution. For those who are members of earth-based clans, the animals that live on the earth — such as snakes, lizards, and turtles — are seen as relatives, a part of their clan, Chavarria said." (Source: Pasatiempo "You must remember hiss: The snake in Native art" Hollis Walker Aug 16, 2013 Updated Aug 22, 2013).

Dimensions:

Height: 4 in (10.16 cm)Diameter: 3.5 in (8.89 cm)

Style:

Native American (In the Style Of)

Materials and Techniques:

Ceramic,Clay,Hand-Crafted

Place of Origin:

United States

Period:

1990-1999

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1990