The Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico has a rich legacy of pottery-making and is home to one of the most vibrant communities of potters creating high-quality traditional vessels. Their handcrafted blackware and redware with intricate, deep engravings are one of the most widely collected forms of Pueblo pottery. Black pottery from the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico is among the most well-known and has been produced since the late 10th century. The distinctive glossy black finish on Santa Clara Pueblo pottery is achieved by firing the work in a smothered fire. Many potters have a specific place they always travel to where they collect their clay by hand and search for the pumice that they will add to the clay to give it strength. Smooth stones that are passed down through the generations are often still used to smooth and shape the clay to the desired finish. Deep, engraved designs are distinct to Santa Clara, developed in the 1920s by famed pottery artist Margaret Tafoya and her mother Sara Fina Tafoya. The carvings are made in the clay while it is dry before firing and include designs like clouds and the famous Santa Clara bear paw.