This is a small bowl by Margaret Tafoya is from the 1960’s.  The bowl is fully polished and painted with an avanyu.  The avanyu, or water serpent, is a classic of her design. Note the shape of the horn as well as the mouth.  A similar style of mouth is painted onto many of her pieces.  As the bowl is turned the body of the water serpent (avanyu) creates cloud and lightning designs.  While Margaret was known for her large vessels, why make something so small?  The reason is that potters of her generation would not ‘throw away” clay that was not used, but also not mix a large portion of it with the new clay.  So, when they were running out of clay, they would often make smaller vessels like this bowl.  It is also during the period of the 1950’s to 1960’s that she made most of her painted or “black-on-black” pieces of pottery.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Margaret”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.