Madeline Naranjo (b. 1916) was known for her deep carved pottery.  This large wedding vase is carved around the body of the piece with an avanyu (water serpent).  Note how wonderfully she used the negative space on the jar so that the design seems to flow up the spouts!  There are clouds extending down from the center of the piece and up the spouts are lightning designs.  The avanyu is often depicted with rain and cloud patterns as it story tells of the water serpent who saves the village from a flood. The wedding vase is signed, “Madeline Naranjo” on the bottom in the clay.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  While Madeline no longer makes pottery, her work is certainly a classic and her legacy continues in the pottery of her granddaughter, Madeline E. Naranjo.