Mae Tapia

Santa Clara Pueblo

Mae Tapia-Suazo was born into Santa Clara Pueblo in 1956. Her mother, Santanita Suazo, says Mae got interested in working with clay when she was about seven so Santanita taught her the fundamentals of making pottery.

Today, Mae specializes in creating red-on-black miniatures but she's also made many red and black seed pots decorated with sgraffito designs.

Among her relatives are sister Candelaria Suazo and aunts Dolores Curran and Geri Naranjo.


Sgraffito fish medallion and sienna spot on a black seed pot
Black seed pot with sgraffito fish medallion and sienna spot
1 in H by 1.25 in Dia
Sgraffito quail and geometric design on a red seed pot
Red seed pot with sgraffito quail and geometric design
1.5 in H by 2 in Dia
Sgraffito avanyu, medallion and geometric design on a black seed pot with sienna spots
Sienna spots on a black seed pot with sgraffito medallion, avanyu and geometric design
1.25 in H by 2.5 in Dia
Sgraffito squirrel, quail, flute player and geometric design on a black seedpot
Black seed pot decorated with a sgraffito flute player, quail, squirrel and geometric design
2 in H by 2.25 in Dia
Geometric design and sgraffito rabbit, bird and crab medallions on a black seed pot with sienna spots
Sienna spots on a black seed pot with sgraffito rabbit, bird and crab medallions plus a geometric design
2.25 in H by 3.25 in Dia
Sgraffito quail design on a miniature red seed pot
Miniature red seedpot decorated with a sgraffito quail design
0.75 in H by 1 in Dia
Sgraffito turtle, avanyu and geometric design on a black seed pot
Black seed pot decorated with a sgraffito avanyu, turtle and geometric design
3 in H by 3.5 in Dia
Sgraffito Mimbres cricket, water bug and geometric design on a miniature black pot A miniature black pot decorated with a sgraffito Mimbres cricket, water bug and geometric design
2 in H by 2 in Dia
Geometric design and sgraffito rabbit, turtle and Yei medallions on a black seed pot
Black seed pot with sgraffito Yei, turtle and rabbit medallions plus a geometric design
2.75 in H by 2.75 in Dia
Sgraffito and painted bird, flower, insect and geometric design on a miniature polychrome seed pot
Miniature polychrome seedpot decorated with a sgraffito and painted bird, flower, insect and geometric design
0.75 in L by 0.75 in W by 0.5 in H
Sgraffito and painted turkey, bighorn ram and geometric design on a miniature polychrome seed pot
Miniature polychrome seed pot decorated with a sgraffito and painted bighorn ram, turkey and geometric design
0.75 in L by 0.75 in W by 0.5 in H
Sgraffito Mimbres rabbit, medallion and geometric design on a miniature black seed pot with a sienna spot
A miniature black pot with a sienna spot decorated with a sgraffito Mimbres rabbit, medallion and geometric design
0.75 in L by 0.75 in W by 0.75 in H
A miniature black melon bowl
A miniature black melon bowl
0.5 in L by 0.5 in W by 0.5 in H
A sgraffito rabbit design on a miniature red seed pot
Miniature red seedpot decorated with a sgraffito rabbit design
0.25 in Dia by 0.25 in H
Sgraffito yeibichai and geometric design on a miniature black seed pot with a sienna spot
Miniature black seed pot with a sienna spot decorated with a sgraffito Yeibichai and geometric design
1 in Dia by 1.5 in H
Sgraffito Mimbres ram, medallion and geometric design on a miniature black seed pot with a sienna spot
A miniature black pot with a sienna spot decorated with a sgraffito Mimbres bighorn ram, medallion and geometric design
1.25 in Dia by 1 in H

Santa Clara Pueblo Potters