Tafoya, Shirley – Small Double Spout Canteen with Gourd Indentions

Shirley Tafoya was the youngest daughter of Margaret Tafoya and was known for her miniature pottery. This piece is a classic double spout canteen. The sides of the piece have gourd indentions, representing the gourd shards used when making pottery and smoothing the surface. They create a lot of various angles for polishing. One spout is asymmetric to “pour” an the other is rounded out and has a hand-carved stopper. The piece also has a leather strap. The canteen was stone polished and traditionally fired a glassy black. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Shirley Cactus Blossom Tafoya”. Simple but a classic of Tafoya Family pottery!