This is a striking large water jar by Dolores Curran.  She continues to create intricately incised and painted pottery.  She was inspired to create these red polychrome incised and painted by her husband, Alvin Curran.  He was known for his incised San Juan-style pottery in the late 1990s.  Dolores said this was the first time she had made this shape.  She said she was inspired by a photo of pieces her mother, Ursulita Naranjo, had made.  The jar has a sharp shoulder and a sloping neck.  There are two parrots, a hummingbird on a flower, butterflies, and dragonflies.  It is a VERY complex series of designs around the neck of the jar.  Just above the shoulder are etched red feathers.  Around the shoulder of the jar is an avanyu.  Below is a band of stars.  Near the base is a carved step design in a basket style with large stars.  The rim of the jar is polished with red-on-red clouds and rain patterns.  The designs are incised into the clay and then highlighted with clay slips, and note how even in the incised areas she has added red clay!  Using a larger vessel allows Dolores to create more subtlety in the colors.  All the colorations are from natural clay slips.  It is an extraordinary amount of time to create pieces intricate both in design and to use the various clay additions.   The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Dolores Curran”.  There are ribbons from the 2023 Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonials.