Alvina Yepa
Jemez Pueblo
Jemez Sunset
8" H
x 10" D
Like the work of Linda Tafoya,
the high-polish surface has to be seen to be fully appreciated.
Along with the Red Melon Bowl by the aforementioned, this vase
has a silky finish and the appearance of glass.
Alvina has painstakingly drawn
out fifty eight ribs in the buffware clay, while a rich red neck
is polished on the inside and out. Of all the ribbed Jemez vessels
I've seen, this is perhaps the most significant.
Alvina has been a recognized
Jemez potter for more than 20 years. She does both melon jars
and sgraffito carved jars, and often a combination of these two
styles. (Sgraffito is a technique of carving designs in a fired
pottery piece, using sharp tools such as dental picks. This technique
is particularly painstaking, since one slip and the pottery's
design is ruined.)
She learned pottery from her
mother, Filipita Yepa. She has won major awards at all of the
larger Indian crafts shows, including Santa Fe Indian Market,
Eight Northern Pueblos Show, Heard Museum Show, and the Inter-tribal
Indian Ceremonial in Gallup. Marcella Yepa is her niece and protege.
Both are members of the Jemez Sun Clan.
