This a very intricate seedpot by Joseph Lonewolf.  It is from 1987 and it is highly polished and fired red.  There is a realistic butterfly on one side.  There are three additional Mimbres-inspired butterflies on the remainder of the piece.  Near the base are etched cloud designs. There are red, green, and white clay slips used to accentuate the coloration.  Near the base is a small, realistic butterfly along with the yearly symbol for 1987.  The 1987 yearly symbol is the “Propeller of Life”.  The piece is very highly polished and intricately designed.  It is signed on the bottom, “Joseph Lonewolf”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. 

Joseph Lonewolf said of his use of Mimbres imagery in his pottery:

“I regard the Mimbres as my ancestors. Though I refine their designs, each design must have meaning for me. In my dreams I see how to use the design, how to make the pot happen. Then when I work the clay, everything flows. Some people wonder why I keep changing styles, colors, forms. But I can’t just sit there and make pots. Like any artist, I must try different things, different techniques. I must meet the challenge with my hands. The patterns and the methods I see in my mind during my dreams.” —Joseph Lonewolf, 1974, Spoken Through Clay