This is a simply amazing miniature wide shoulder jar by Russell Sanchez.  The jar has a low shoulder with a short neck.  The entire piece is fully polished and there is an incised water serpent around the shoulder.  There is an inset piece of turquoise for the eye of the water serpent (avanyu).  Amazingly, there are two rows of very, very fine hematite hei-shi beads.  So, why hematite? Russell has begun to use it in 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 base of the jar is indented and it is signed in the clay, “Russell”.  It is amazing when a potter can make pieces at this very, very small size and yet have the precision as if they were much larger!  Shipping included.

Russell Sanchez: Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past