Medicine Flower, Grace – Basket Weave Bowl with Polychrome Deer (1998)

7.25"w x 6.25"h

$ 6,000.00

Grace Medicine Flower remains renowned for her innovative and creative pottery.  This is one of her dynamic “basket weave” pieces.  She only made the basket-weave pieces for a few years before moving on to the polychrome pottery.   The concept behind these pieces was for them to appear as if the clay had fallen away and there was a woven basket underneath. There are multiple levels of carving on this piece.  The top layer has the medallions, then the deer, then the basket weave.  The large medallions are polished red with a tan polished band on the edge.  They are each etched with a Mimbres deer in the center.  On the sides, there are three deer that are painted with additional clay colors, making the piece “polychrome”.  I remember this was one of the first where she had created the polychrome additions combined with basket-weave.  The final layer carved down is the basket area. For the “basket’ area, each row is incised into the clay horizontally so that they are rounded out. Then they are incised vertically to create the weave of the basket. THEN she added the clay slip to create the design on the basket.  The area surrounding the basket is slipped with mica.  Note as well the creative edge where it extends upward with step designs toward the opening.  Grace said she had to carve the rim carefully so that it wouldn’t crack in the drying or the firing.  Finally, the entire interior is slipped with red clay.  The bowl was traditionally fired.  When you think about it, each piece contains carved, incised, and sgraffito techniques.  There are red polished, tan polished, micaceous, and polychrome slipped areas.  Think about the amount of time it takes to finish just ONE piece with this much variety of carving and design.  As well, all the work is done before the piece is fired. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.