WOW!  This is a spectacular large jar by Steve Lucas.  The jar is coil-built and painted with bee-weed (black) along with red, brown, and white clay slips.  All the areas of color are fully polished!  That is amazingly time-consuming to not just paint the clay slip-on before firing, but also polish each of the small sections!  The jar has four interlocking Awatovi birds.  Steve said this was a design used by Dextra on her pottery and Dextra had said she used it from Nampeyo.  Each of the four birds is highlighted with brown, red, and white clay slips. The birds are large, and dynamic on the surface of the jar.  The large size is unusual as Steve said it takes time to build a piece this size with such a flat top.  There is also a risk when it is drying and firing that it will crack.  The jar was traditionally fired and it is striking in its rich coloration!  Few potters today are able to create large pieces with such a classic form.  The flow, design, and coloration of this jar is exceptional and it is exciting to see such a classic design revived in such a modern style!  The jar was traditionally fired and has slight color variations from the firing.  It is signed on the bottom, “Steve Lucas” and an ear of corn (Corn Clan) and a Mudhead Katsina.