This is a striking red bear-lidded jar by Russell Sanchez.  The jar is a classic shape with a sharp shoulder and sloping side.  It is fully polished red with black clay accents.  This is Russell’s revival of the historic black-on-red pottery of San Ildefonso from 1880-1920 (see last photo).  The jar has avanyu etched into the clay above the shoulder.  Around the shoulder is a checkerboard board design.  In the area etched out around the avanyu, the piece is slipped with black clay. The same black clay is used for the checkerboard pattern.  The jar has a bear lid that is fully polished red with black on the base of the lid.  The jar was fired a deep red coloration.  There are 40 pieces of inset turquoise.  Below the checkerboard design, there are 30 inset pieces of hematite.  Around the shoulder, the jar has three rows of hematite hei-shi beads.  On the lid, there are 16 inset pieces of hematite, along with two pieces of turquoise for the eyes of the bear and one on the back of the bear.  All the stones and beads are added after the firing.  There are a total of 89 inset stones on the jar.  The jar and lid are both signed, “Russell”.

As Russell has said:

“I’m a traditionalist all the way through.  Innovation is part of our tradition. You use the same materials and tools that you have, and the same design elements, and the Clay Mother will come through you for what she wants you to do,” he explains. “Instead of doing the same cloud pattern or serpent pattern, you take that and make it your own. So, in fact, everything I’m doing is old, but new.”  Russell Sanchez, Southwest Art Magazine