This is a collaborative jar by Jennifer Moquino and Jason Ebelacker.  Jason is a great-grandson of Margaret Tafoya and he make, polishes and fired the vessel.  Jennifer then etches the surface with her intricate designs. Together they have been winning awards for their exceptional collaborative works.  Jennifer made a smaller Kirin jar several years ago for one of our shows and a collaborative piece with Russell Sanchez.  This one is a striking shape and very complicated in design with four interconnected Kirin dragons.  Why the Kirin?  The Kirin is a mythical hooved chimerical creature known in Chinese and other East Asian cultures, said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler.  Jennifer has long been fascinated with Asian culture and tying imagery like the Kirin to that of the Avanyu in Pueblo culture.  Here, they are highly detailed and check out the expressions on the faces!  The deep black and very highly polished surface of the jar add to the overall impact of the piece.  All the various colors are from natural clay slips.  Jennifer is extraordinary in her use of realism on her pottery and capturing a moment in time.