Russell Sanchez continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery.  Each piece is perfectly coil-built, stone polished, and etched.  This is one of his classic miniature vessels.  It has a wide shoulder and a long neck, much in the style of his great-aunt, Rose Gonzales.  The neck and base are polished black while the center area is polished a deep red.  There are two bands of turquoise hei-shi beads. The color contrast is visually striking.  Russell said that he was inspired by the use of the black mica clay on historic vessels and how he could use it to better match his highly polished surfaces.  The result is a black stone polished surface that has a high shine and a color that somehow ranges from gray to black.  It is quite exceptional!  He began using the deep red clay around 2005, making it a recent addition to his pottery, and again, harkens to the early San Ildefonso pottery.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.