This is a beautifully carved small jar by Linda Cain. The jar has a round shoulder and a short neck.  Around the neck, there is a spiraling cloud pattern.  The avanyu (water serpent) is deeply carved on multiple levels.  Note how the body extends down to the base of the piece!  The jar is highly polished and fired a glassy black.  It is a modernist variation on a very traditional shape and design.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Linda Cain”