This black and red bowl by Joseph Lonewolf is from 1972. It is very early in his career, as he only began making pottery full-time in 1971.  The bowl is fully polished and fired red-and-black.  This is a coloration that was originated by Joseph.  The bowl is first coil built and stone polished.  The design is a Mimbres fish surrounded by waves.  Note the background that is etched in a linear manner emanating out from behind the fish.  The design was etched into the clay before it was fired.  This bowl was then traditionally fired but before it was covered with manure to turn it black, the front area was covered to keep it red.  This is a style that Joseph only created early in his career.  The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed, “Joseph Lonewolf” on the bottom in the clay.  There are numbers on the bottom, “29” and “4”.  This was his early numbering system signifying the 29th piece he had made and this was the 4th one of 1972!

“Art was a hobby, including clay sculpting I learned from my father, the potting I learned from my mother, and the beadwork I learned from my grandparents. I became a full-time potter only this spring. Before that, I had an 8-to-5 job in Colorado Springs as a journeyman mechanic.  “It gives me a funny feeling when people tell me I’ve done something brand new and different. I’ve just figured out all over again what potters did centuries ago. But it is NOT new as people like to say it is. Such colors were achieved in pre-history times by my ancestors.”  Joseph Lonewolf, Spoken Through Clay, 1972