This is an exceptional and unusual jar by Lucy Lewis.  She was one of the great Matriarch potters of the past century. This jar is coil-built and painted using bee-weed, a plant,  for the black.  The design has a stylized version of her famous lighting design.  The neck has a rain pattern.  The body of the jar has lighting and rain patterns with a very angular appearance. The sections are either black, white or filled in with thin lines.  The most usual part of the jar is the animal effigy handle.  I’m not sure if it is a wolf or mountain lion, but it does have a charming face and long tail.  Note how she positioned the head perfectly so when looking at the jar, it appears as if the face is looking over the side!  The jar is from the 1960s, a period when she was inspired by the black-and-white pottery of Chaco Canyon and Tularosa. It’s not often that we see her pieces with such a creative handle and complicated designs.  It was traditionally fired, so there are color variations on the surface.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Lucy M.  Lewis”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  Definitely a classic and a piece of history!