Santa Clara Pueblo Black Skunk Pottery Figure

Late 20th Century

3.75" L

Hand Coiled Skunk Figure from Black on Black Ware with a Glossy Finish and Pin Point Eyes

In Very Good Condition

Santa Clara Pueblo black skunk pottery figures are small, hand-coiled and polished blackware animal figurines (often called effigies or miniatures) made by potters from Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico.

Santa Clara is renowned for its traditional black-on-black ware (and redware), achieved by polishing the clay and firing it in a reduced-oxygen (smothered) pit fire that turns the entire piece a deep, glossy black. These skunk figures are typically small (around 1.5–3.5 inches long), stylized, and feature polished black surfaces with matte or unpolished areas for the white stripe(s), tail details, and sometimes the underside to mimic a skunk’s appearance.