This is a highly polished melon bowl by Alton Komalestewa.  It is the combination of color, form, and polish, that makes it striking.  Alton learned to make pottery from his mother-in-law, Helen Shupla.  She was famous for her traditional melon bowls and over the years Alton has taken and refined this form with thinner walls and a highly polished surface.  This bowl has elven undulating ribs pushed out from the inside.  It is technically difficult to stretch the clay and create even ribs.  Each rim is symmetrical and looking inside the bowl you can see the depth and precision of each rib!  The bowl is highly stone polished and fired to a dark brown coloration.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Alton Komalestewa” with his hallmark, which is a  katsina face. The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.