This is a red-and-black polished bowl by Joseph Lonewolf from 1973. It is very early in his career, as he only began making pottery full-time in 1971.  Interestingly, 1973 was one of his most creative years as he was experimenting with color as well as background designs.  This bowl is fully polished.  The central medallion is a Mimbres fish that was incised into the clay before it was fired.  Note the matte background area, which is deeply incised with linear designs.  The piece was traditionally fired “black-and-red”. This was a signature firing created by Joseph so that at the end of the firing, before the manure was put on to turn it black, the design was covered.  That would leave the design red, while the remainder would turn black.  This amazing coloration remains one that only Joseph and his family ever used and today, there is nobody who knows how to replicate it in the same manner!  The piece is signed, “Joseph Lonewolf” on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.

“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