This is one of the few canteens that Virgil Ortiz makes each year.  The piece is coil built and painted with native clay slips and wild spinach (a plant) for the black.  The front of the canteen is painted with one of Virgi’s iconic images. It is that of Tahu, the Blind Archer, with a rose in her mouth.  The story for this image is part of the Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180 series.  The lower section of the canteen and the back are fully painted with a complex geometric pattern.  Note as well the “spirit line” which is a space in the painting on the rim.   Virgil has also incorporated his signature “x”, which is the turkey track, onto the front of the canteen. The piece is signed on the back.  The use of traditional and contemporary imagery has become a standard for Virgil’s pottery as he pushes the boundaries of contemporary Native clay. His work can be found in museums worldwide, including the Foundation Cartier in Paris, the Heard Museum, the Denver Art Museum and more.