Harrison Begay Jr.

Santa Clara Pueblo

Santa Clara Pueblo potter Harrison Begay Jr.
Harrison Begay Jr.

Harrison Begay Jr. is a Navajo man who married into Santa Clara Pueblo. Daniel Begay is his son.

Harrison was raised in the small Navajo community of Jeddito, near Keams Canyon in northeastern Arizona. Jeddito is famous for the Jeddito yellow clay found nearby. That clay is what made Sikyátki-style pottery possible.

While he was in college, Harrison studied to be a painter in a fine arts curriculum. After college he turned his attention to pottery and began to enter his pieces in numerous shows, winning major awards from the '80s until the present.

After marrying into Santa Clara Pueblo, he learned the Tewa pueblo style of pottery from his mother-in-law. His pottery with beautiful incised and polished Navajo designs includes black, red and brown-fired pots.

Black jar with organic opening carved with geometric design
Black jar with an organic opening and carved with geometric designs
5.25 in H by 5 in Dia
Geometric designs carved on a black on black narrow-neck jar
Black on black narrow-neck jar carved with geometric designs
6.25 in H by 5 in Dia
Geometric design carved into a square black jar
Square black jar carved with a geometric design
5 in H by 9.25 in Dia
Katsina face and geometric design carved into a brown jar
Brown jar carved with katsina face and geometric design
6.25 in H by 7.25 in Dia
Geometric design carved into a black jar
Black jar carved with geometric design
4.5 in H by 6.25 in Dia
Geometric design carved into a black on black jar
Black on black jar carved with geometric design
5.25 in H by 5.5 in Dia
Cross, Tularosa spiral and geometric design carved into a polished brown jar
Polished brown jar carved with cross, Tularosa spiral and geometric design
8 in H by 10.5 in Dia
Bear with heart line and geometric design carved into a polished black jar
Polished black jar carved with bear with heart line and geometric design
7.75 in H by 8 in Dia
Bear and Tularosa spiral design carved into a black jar
Black jar carved with bear and Tularosa spiral design
5 in H by 5 in Dia
Yei design carved into a squarish black bowl
Squarish black bowl carved with Yei design
5.25 in H by 7.5 in Dia
Bear, kiva step and geometric design carved into a polished black jar
Polished black jar carved with bear, kiva-step and geometric designs
6.5 in H by 7.75 in Dia
Spiral and feather designs carved into a polished brown jar
Polished brown jar carved with spiral and feather designs
6.25 in H by 6.25 in Dia
Thunderbird, eagle, cross and star design carved into a polished brown jar
Polished brown jar carved with thunderbird, eagle, cross and star design
6.25 in H by 6.25 in Dia
Geometric designs carved into a black on black jar
Black on black jar carved with geometric designs
10.5 in H by 11.75 in Dia
Carved stylized bear and geometric design on a brown on brown jar
Brown on brown jar carved with stylized bear and geometric design
7.25 in H by 7.5 in Dia
Owl and geometric design carved into a brown jar
Brown jar carved with owl and geometric design
6.5 in H by 5.75 in Dia

Santa Clara Pueblo Potters