This is a small 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.  The design consists of two heartline deer.  The deer are painted around the shoulder.  They are separated by rain and cloud designs.  The heartline deer is a classic design connected to both Acoma and Zuni pottery, with the heartline signifying the center or “heart” of the animal.  This bowl is thin-walled and delicately painted.  It was traditionally fired so the white has much more of a pearlescent coloration, which creates added depth.  In the 1970s the surfaces of her pieces were more highly polished, giving them a smoother feel and also some of her most refined work.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Lucy M. Lewis”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. Some small areas of spalling, which are common for this time period.