This is a complex small bear-lidded bowl by Russell Sanchez.  It is a true “miniature” as the largest dimension is three inches (the height with the lid).  The bowl is polished red on the top half and slipped in the background with black clay.  It is etched with an avanyu.  There are inset turquoise on the back of the avanyu and for the eye.  Do you see the little bear paw behind the horn of the avanyu, which is a signature of Russell’s pottery.  Below the shoulder is a checkerboard pattern in tan and black with a row of hematite hei-shi above and below.  The base is polished white and has TINY inset pieces of turquoise. The really amazing part of this piece is the lid!  There is a tiny sculpted bear on the top that is polished red.  It has inset turquoise on the eyes and the back.  The bottom and edge of the lid are polished white and the top is black matte.  There is a row of hematite hei-shi beads on the lid as well. Overall, there are 106 inset turquoise stones on this piece.  Of course, the lid is a perfect fit for the piece.   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 used on the pottery.  The turquoise represents the Winter Clan. The bowl 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