This is a very detailed lidded polychrome 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.  This jar has a storage jar shape with a high shoulder.  It’s a great shape as it provides a lot of surface area for design! The neck and base are fully polished a deep red coloration and painted with a red clay slip for the designs.  The body of the jar has plant designs on the top and then a band of different butterflies.   Separating each butterfly is a painted cloud design.  Below each butterfly is an incised avanyu (water serpent).  Below the avanyu is are more deeply incised feather pattern. The feathers are incised at an angle and the detail is so precise!  Finally, there is one section of incised rain designs in the polished area.  It is amazing the diversity of colors, techniques, and designs on one piece!  The lid has a bear with incised rain and cloud designs on the back and a heartline.  The base of the lid is polished red while the bear is micaceous.  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”.