Acoma "Snowflake Pattern" Jar by Dorothy Torivio (Acoma Pueblo)

Dorothy Torivio, who is known for her extraordinarily fine, precisely formed and painted pottery, used her "Snowflake" pattern on this graceful pot. This design features white, eight-pointed snowflakes inside of black, four-pointed stars surrounded by white overlapping circles. Painting completely freehand, she compresses or stretches out her designs as the body of the pot narrows and widens. Her pots have very thin walls, are perfectly shaped and are burnished to a smooth, perfect finish.

Dorothy, who began making pots full time in the mid-1970s, at first decorated them with Mimbres designs, until one day when she had the brilliant inspiration to try covering a pot with a repeated, interlocked, geometric design, reminiscent of Op Art or Escher. She is now considered an icon of Pueblo pottery, and her work can be found in museums, galleries and collections around the world.

Height 7", width 9"