Sanchez, Russell – Gunmetal Bowl with Circles and Bear Lid

7"w x 8"h (w/ lid)

$ 9,800.00

This is a creative bowl by Russell Sanchez.  He continues to be one of the true innovators in Pueblo pottery.  Each piece is perfectly coil built, stone polished and etched. This piece is a round bowl and has 20 circles carved into the clay.  Each is stone polished and they are separated by a mica slip.  The contrast of the polished and micaceous matte surfaces are striking.  Each of the circles is surrounded by a band of hematite hei-shi beads.  So, why hematite?  Russell has begun to use it on his recent pieces for several reasons. There is a traditional aspect in that women wear hematite bracelets when they do certain traditional dances at the Pueblo.  There is also hematite content in the clay slips use on the pottery.  The lid is a fully polished bear which is created with one paw raised. There is a wonderful sculptural aspect to the bear!  The piece is fired to a near gunmetal appearance which is striking with the high polish.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past