This is an intricately painted seedpot by Lois Gutierrez.  She is one of the few potters who continues to create polychrome pottery at Santa Clara.  Polychrome, or more than three different colors of clay slips, are all painted onto the surface of the vessel before it is fired. This piece is round and fully painted. There are three polychrome turtles as the design.  Each turtle a variety of clay colors to create the shells.  Across the surface of the piece, there are eight different clay colors.  Did you know that Lois collects each of the different clays from around Santa Clara Pueblo in order to create these colorations?   The seedpot was traditionally fired.  It is signed on the bottom, “Lois”.