Jemez Pueblo Wedding Vase Ensemble — Lawrence Toya, Signed

Three-piece hand-painted Jemez Pueblo wedding vase ensemble by Lawrence Toya, each piece signed "L. Toya / N.M." on the unglazed terracotta base. Toya is a recognized elder of Jemez Pueblo (Walatowa) and a member of the most documented pottery dynasty in the American Southwest. The family lineage traces to matriarch Mary E. Toya (1934–1990), a central figure in the post-1960s Jemez revival whose children and grandchildren carried the tradition through multiple generations of award-winning potters. All three pieces share the hallmark Jemez construction: matte white slip over a warm terracotta lower body, decorated in bold black, white, and teal. The motifs — stylized feathers, leaf forms, geometric step patterns, landscape elements — are drawn directly from Pueblo design tradition. The largest vase adds a terracotta-toned mountain accent not found on the other two, giving each piece its own identity within the set. Walatowa is a closed village. Signed, attributed work from inside it is not replaceable.

The wedding vase form carries real cultural weight — two spouts joined by a single arch, long understood in Pueblo tradition as a symbol of two lives becoming one. This ensemble pairs two classic wedding vases in complementary scales with a low squat pot bearing the same design vocabulary and artist signature. All three signed by the same hand. Displayable as a group from the moment they arrive.

CONDITION

Very Good. All three pieces show crisp, well-defined painted designs with no chips, cracks, or repairs visible on any decorative surface. 

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Large Wedding Vase: 14 3/4" H × 6" W × 6" D
• Medium Wedding Vase: 12 1/4" H × 8 1/2" W × 4 1/2" D
• Squat Pot: 5 1/4" H × 5 1/2" Diameter
• Origin: Jemez Pueblo (Walatowa), New Mexico
• Artist: Lawrence Toya (L. Toya), Jemez Pueblo Elder
• Signature: "L. Toya / N.M." on base — all three pieces
• Quantity: 3 pieces
• Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale