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.  This bear is polished with a deep red clay slip.  The inside of the legs is polished black.  The back has two bands of turquoise hei-shi beads and two bands of hematite hei-shi beads.  There is an incised heartline on both sides.  The heartline which extends out from the mouth of the bear. The bear is a symbol of strength and the heartline is a traditional image used to symbolize the heart as the center of power in the animal.  The eyes are turquoise.  The bear is hollow as the piece is coil built.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Russell”.