Helen Gutierrez (1935-1993) was a daughter of Isabel Atencio, a sister of Gilbert Atencio, and the mother of Geraldine, Carol, and Rose Gutierrez. She was known for her traditional San Ildefonso pottery.  This bowl is one of her classic shapes. It is highly stone polished to a glossy surface. The bowl is painted with a feather pattern in two sections and a mountain, cloud, and lightning design in the other sections.  Note the precision of the mountain hatchure painted lines!  The bowl was traditionally fired to a deep black coloration.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Helen Gutierrez”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.