This is an exceptional larger seedpot by Susan “Snowflake” Romero.  She is known for her highly polished and intricately etched with detailed imagery.  Many of her skills are ones that she learned from her father, Joseph Lonewolf. This seedpot has a realistic cougar on one side. Check out the realism in the face and body.  This is one of her best.  More than that, look at the mountains.  She lightly etched away from the lower areas so the peaks are polished and the area below is a matte red.  This detail gives them both dimension and the appearance as if the tops are covered with snow!  What you can’t tell is that behind the mountains where it is tan/buff, she etched just a bit deeper into the clay so you can feel that edge.  As the piece is turned, there is a Mimbres style cougar on the opposite side. There is a creative aspect to the cougar that looks both whimsical and yet so detailed.  Note below the cougar is a Mimbres deer.  Across the entire piece, the polished red is the surface, and then she often etches just the polished area away to reveal the matte red, and going deeper, there is the tan of the clay.  It is very complicated and time consuming to etch in this manner!  However, the results are exceptional.  The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay with her Tewa name, “Pho-sa-We”.  It is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair and signed on the bottom.