Helen Shupla is certainly most famous for her exceptional melon jars.  Her melon jars are the very traditional form with the ribs pushed out in the clay.  This melon jar is one of her classic shapes with a wide-body and the ribs almost extending up to the rim.  There is a very organic appearance to this form.  It has 15 very deeply accentuated ribs.  Each of the 15 ribs is pushed out into the clay.  She would do this by placing her fingers inside the bowl and pushing against the clay from both the inside and outside!  Can you see the slight angle for each section?  This is how she would turn her hand as she was pushing against the clay to create the separate ribs!  The entire piece is fully polished and fired a deep black.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Helen Shupla”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.