This is an extraordinary box by Dolores Curran.  She continues to create intricately incised and painted pottery.  This piece combines both the incised polychrome pottery inspired by her late husband, Alvin Curran, and her delicately painted buff-on-red style. The painted areas of the box are amazing in detail and time-consuming.  Everything has to be repainted at least four times for the color to appear solid!  The outside of the box is fully polished and has feathers, prayer feathers, clouds and turtles as the design.  There is also a water serpent along the rim.  The top of the side of the box is mica slipped and has painted cloud designs which extend over the rim.  The lid is incised with a feather pattern, along with two sections of prayer feathers. There are various clay colors to create white and red.  The center of the lid has a painted avanyu and the rim of the lid has another avanyu!  Turn the lid over and there is an incised butterfly!  I’ll say it again, the work and detail on a piece of her work this size is extraordinary!  The box is signed on the bottom in the clay.