Stunning!  This long neck jar by Russell Sanchez is fired a gunmetal silvery-black.  Russell’s recent work is a modern take on historic San Ildefonso pottery.  The long neck shape of the jar is inspired by the work of his great-aunt Rose Gonzales. This jar is etched with a water serpent before it was fired.  Around the neck are are five bands of hematite hei-shi beads.  Around the shoulder are another five rows of hematite hei-shi beads. There are inset hematite stones on the back of the avanyu and around the neck and shoulder.  The eye of the avanyu is turquoise. The jar has a large bear that is fully polished.  It has a large piece of turquoise on the back and inset pieces of hematite on the back and legs.  There is a single inset row of hematite beads around the top of the lid.  Phew!  That’s a lot and it is a total of 340 inset stones on this jar! WOW!  The jar and lid were traditionally fired to a very silvery black.  All the stones were added after the firing.  Russell is one of the only Pueblo potters working today who is able to achieve this gunmetal coloration with consistency!  This may seem to be a simple design at first glance and yet it is probably one of the more precision challenging pieces Russell has made in a while, as if any line was not perfectly even, it would throw off the design.  The jar and the lid are both signed on the bottom in the clay.  A wonderful traditional and yet very modern piece!  The jar and lid are signed on the bottom, “Russell”.  The last two photos are of the jar just after the firing and before Russell began to add the stones.  Simply.  Stunning!