This is a very early bowl by Mark Tahbo.  He learned to make pottery from his great-grandmother, Grace Chapella. This jar is certainly reflective of her influence, as the shape is one that she often made in her pottery.  There is a round shoulder and a short neck.  As well, the design is one which Grace made famous.  Here there are three moths and next to each are three triangular designs meant to represent the three Hopi mesas.  There is a star and sky pattern, which extends from one moth to the next.  The jar was traditionally fired to create the blushes on the surface.  It is signed on the bottom, “Mark Tahbo”, which is how he signed his early work. The jar is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is some fugitive black bee-weed on the surface.