This is a classic water jar with handles by James Ebelacker.  He is a son of noted potter Virginia Ebelacker.  He is known for his large vessels.  This jar is coil-built, carved, and stone polished red.  The piece is entitled, “Ceremonial Wind”.  The jar has a wide shoulder and a turned-out rim.  On the top of the shoulder are two handles. The handles and the rim are both stone-polished.  Around the center of the jar are carved clouds, wind, rain, and lightning designs.  The jar was fired red in coloration. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “James Ebelacker”.

James said of his pottery:

When I sit down and I make a piece of pottery, I may be alone, but the room is full. My grandmother and mom are there, as are the songs they would sing. And I can hear my grandfather tapping and can feel the beat of distant drums. They are always right there with me, speaking to me and influencing my work.  With pottery, you can’t get discouraged. It can’t be rushed. You really have to invest the time to learn your path, and it will be revealed to you. So you slow down and think about what you really want to create. In the end, if you are serious about wanting to learn the art of making pottery, the clay will speak to you and instill a sense of what it is destined to become.” James Ebelacker, Spoken Through Clay