WOW!  This is a spectacular jar by Eudora Montoya.  She is the most well-recognized potter from Santa Ana Pueblo. In 1972, she began teaching Santa Ana women the art of pottery making. She had 17 students in her first class. Only 5 or 6 of them continued making pottery. Although Eudora’s pottery was traditional in materials and construction, generally, her designs were creations of her own.  In 1973, she visited the White House with other Pueblo potters.  This jar is from the 1970s and it is coil built and painted with clay slips. The jar has a high shoulder and a short neck.  Why the “wow”?  The jar is among her best in terms of shape, and the painting is excellent.  However, it is the design that is so unusual. The jar has rain clouds around the rim. There are two large quail painted on the jar with checkerboard patterns and polished red bodies.  It’s the only time I’ve seen a design like this from Eudora.   The white slip is applied first and then the designs are painted with two different colors of clay.  The base is slipped red.  It is in nearly excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  It is signed on the bottom, “Eudora Montoya, Santa Ana”.