Grace Medicine Flower began her career making miniature pottery with incised designs.  This jar is from 1987.  It is a period when she was combining carved areas with etched designs.  The jar is round in shape and has a short neck.  The entire piece is fully polished. The designs were etched into the clay before firing.  There is a central medallion with butterflies and irises.  Look near the bottom of there is a smaller medallion with a feather pattern and a single iris. Note how the background is red.  This is were Grace just lightly etched away the red slip, leaving the matte red behind.  It is a striking contrast of techniques.  After it was designed, the jar was traditionally fired red.  Grace always had an eye on the complete composition of a piece and made sure it was not just aesthetically pleasing but also technically precise.  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Grace Medicine Flower”.   It is a classic piece of her pottery history!