This is an elegant shaped large double shoulder water jar by Jason Ebelacker.  The shape brings to mind the water vessels of Jason’s great-grandmother Margaret Tafoya. The jar has a low round shoulder followed upward by the second shoulder or “rainbow ridge”. The two shoulders create a further undulation of the form and create numerous angles for the light to hit and seem to add to the overall shine.  The neck is wider and the rim flares out slightly.  There are bear paws impressing into the clay and then polished.  The bear paws are traditionally used on any vessel used to hold water, as it is part of a story where the bear led the Pueblo people to water during a drought.  The jar is stone polished to a high shine and then traditionally fired. The firing is always an unknown how a piece will turn out but this jar is a deep, solid black coloration.  Jason is a son of noted potter Richard Ebelacker and grandson of Virginia Ebelacker.  He has won numerous awards for his pottery and continues to be one of the important younger potters to watch.  Pottery at this level of creativity and quality is certainly a reflection of his talent.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “J. Ebelacker”.