This is a large melon jar from LuAnn Tafoya.  She is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya and is known for her large, highly polished pottery.  This jar is carved with sixteen vertical melon ribs.  The entire piece is fully polished, even the areas in between each rib!  Amazingly, a jar like this has to be polished all at one time, so there is a lot of surface to cover with a polishing stone.  LuAnn said of her melon bowls:

The coloration is beautiful as it is a strong red coloration.  The shape of this piece is a great example of her skill, creativity, and commitment to traditional Santa Clara pottery.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.