This is a classic lidded bowl by Russell Sanchez.  Russell’s recent work is a modern take on historic San Ildefonso pottery.  This bowl has six horizontal bands with a checkerboard design. The designs alternate between matte and micaceous areas.  Believe it or not, this is very difficult to carve the horizontal lines into the clay and have them all turn out even!  The inspiration for the checkerboard comes from historic San Ildefonso pottery from 1880-1920, such as the checkerboard polychrome jar in the last photo by Maximilliana Martinez. On this bowl, the top and bottom are fully polished and the rim is two-toned sienna.  Separating each of the six bands of the checkerboard are seven strands of hematite hei-shi beads.  The metallic appearance of the stone matches the shine of the jar and the mica.  The lid is very sculptural in the shape of a fish.  The base of the lid is polished.  The entire lid was fired black and then areas of the fish are reheated to reveal the green and sienna colorations.  The fish is not just sculptural in form but the green, brown, and black colorations give is a striking coloration like a trout in the water!  This may seem to be a simple design at first glance and yet it is probably one of the more precision challenging pieces Russell makes, as if any line was not perfectly even, it would throw off the design.  The jar and the lid are both signed on the bottom in the clay, “Russell”.  A wonderful traditional and yet very modern piece!

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past