This is one of the few polychrome pieces Margaret Tafoya.  The plate is from the 1920’s and it is fully polished on the back and the front is matte with the various clay slips creating the coloration.  The plate is featured on p. 45 in the book Born of Fire.  Margaret said that this was one of only 12 plates that she made which were polychrome! The design is delicately painted and note the variations in color of the gray and the subtle designs in the body of the avanyu.  It is quite exceptional.  Margaret told the story of how she actually saw a water serpent when she was a girl and was told that seeing one predicted a long life.  The plate is signed on the back.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is one small ding on the upper edge, which is certainly not unexpected.