Teresita Naranjo
Santa Clara
Red Carved
Jar
5" H
x 4" D
Teresita Tafoya Naranjo (1919-1999),
also known as Apple Blossom, has been acknowledged as one of
the finest 20th century potters at Santa Clara Pueblo.
She was the daughter of Victor
and Christina Naranjo and wife of Joe Naranjo, mother to Stella
Tafoya Chavarria, niece to Margaret Tafoya, and the granddaughter
of Sara Fina Tafoya. After her husband's passing in 1950, she
supported her family solely through sales of her pottery. She
was a master potter—one of the finest of the pueblo and
was known for her intricately carved blackware and redware in
the Santa Clara style.
Teresita was a sister of Mary
Cain and the great-aunt to Autumn Borts and Tammy Garcia. Her
pottery can be found in the permanent collection of museums nationwide
including The National Museum of the American Indian, the Denver
Art Museum and the Heard.
Teresita Naranjo holds a place
of historic significance in Santa Clara pottery, as she is considered
the first to carve outside the linear band designs for her imagery.
Her carving was always deep and crisp and the designs seemed
to flow gracefully around the surface.