This water jar by Samuel Manymules is striking shape for his pottery.  It is coil built and slipped with a red clay and then traditionally fired.  The shape is inspired by the classic water jar with the elongated neck and the slightly turned out rim.  On the shoulder, the jar just dips down a bit before the sharp edge which starts the swirls.  There are four large swirls which circle around the jar from the shoulder to the base.  They are basically flat and each is separated by a sharp ridge.  Each rib is pushed out from the inside to create the sharp “edge”.  This turns out to be a striking form as the neck and sides reflect the intense coloration form the traditional firing.   From dark black to brown and red, the colors spiral across the surface of this jar.  After the firing, the jar is covered with pine pitch in the traditional way expected of Navajo pottery.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is extraordinary vessels like this which keep Samuel among the top Navajo potters working today.