Grace Medicine Flower

Grace Medicine Flower
Grace Medicine Flower

Grace Medicine Flower was born to Agapita and Camilio Tafoya at Santa Clara Pueblo in 1938. She grew up in the company of some of the most famous Pueblo potters on Earth, including her aunt Margaret Tafoya. Grace began working with clay early in life and was producing pottery in her own name by the early 1960's, after graduating from high school and working as a secretary for a while. It was in the late 1960's when she and her brother, Joseph Lonewolf, began using the sgraffito technique to etch the surfaces of their pottery vessels. Grace says she sold her first piece of sgraffito pottery for $11, significantly more than her other traditional pieces. These days she only produces a dozen or so pieces per year and most disappear into private collections before they get to the market.

Sgraffito avanyu design on a long-neck miniature red jar
Miniature long-necked red jar with sgraffito avanyu design
1 1/4 in H by 3/4 in Dia
Carved, sgraffito and painted woman, baskets and geometric design on a polychrome jar with an organic opening
Polychrome jar with an organic opening and carved, sgraffito and painted woman, baskets and geometric design
5 3/4 in H by 6 3/4 in Dia
Carved and painted woman, basket, spiral and geometric design on a polychrome jar with organic opening
Polychrome jar with organic opening and carved and painted woman, basket, spiral and geometric design
5 in H by 5 in Dia
Sgraffito avanyu design plus three brown panels and a grey rim on a black jar
Black jar with sgraffito avanyu design, three brown panels and a grey rim
4 3/4 in H by 4 3/4 in Dia
Photo of Grace Medicine Flower courtesy of King Galleries
Pottery photos courtesy of Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery