2019 Hands-On Curatorial Program student curator, Gailene Morgan (Tesuque Pueblo/Sac and Fox Nation of the Mississippi in Iowa), wrote about this piece for the 2019 exhibition entitled Recollective Echo.I wanted to utilize them for my Seniors Honors Project, which is “Preserving the Tewa Language Through Traditional Art.” Pottery is a traditional art that is significant throughout the Pueblos. In Santa Clara, they are well known for their incised black pottery. I was drawn to the pattern on the turtle’s [NA1524] back because it resembled a flower to me. The Tewa language is linked to these pots because of the ways that art can tell a story, reflect a connection someone has, or the process it took to create it.

RTC No: EU0028
Gift of Ralph T. Coe, 2011