Phyllis Johnson Cerna was a daughter of noted potter  Vesta Bread and a daughter-in-law of Mabel Sunn.  This is a figurative clay bird.  The piece is made using a paddle-and-anvil technique and twice fired.  The black designs are derived from a mixture of mesquite sap and cactus spines.  Today, there are very few Maricopa artists making pottery. This bird is from the 1980s and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.