Russell Sanchez continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery.  Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched.  This bear is one of his classic shapes.  The is one of his 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 utilitarian vessels and how he could use it to better match his highly polished surfaces.  The result is a black stone polished surface which has a high shine and a color that somehow ranges from gray to black to almost a blue, depending on the light!  It is quite exceptional!  The red is 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.

Click here to read: Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past