Mark Tahbo was renown for his creative pottery shapes, designs, and firings.  He learned to make pottery from his great-grandmother, Grace Chapella.  Each piece reflects the symmetry and thin walls of an excellent potter. The designs are painted using native clay slips and bee-weed (a plant) for the black.  This bowl is wide with a flat top.  Mark would work hard to create this form inspired by the ancient Sikyatki pottery.  I remember when Mark originally made this piece and he said that it wasn’t the classic eagle tail design.  It’s hummingbirds!  The tail feathers are extending down and on the sides with the points are the hummingbirds.  Mark would often innovate his own creative designs for his pottery.  He said of this:

“There is so much in this pottery career that you have to go through. So many different stages. You are constantly learning. I finally came to this point in my life that when I choose a design it has to have a meaning or a story to connect all together. Today on some of my pieces I might even make the story up myself in order to create a new tale of my own.” Mark Tahbo, Spoken Through Clay

The placement of the imagery on this bowl looks classic, but it actually gives the piece a very modern appearance.  The bowl was traditionally fired which created the blushes on the surface.  It is signed on the bottom, “Mark Tahbo”.  There is a pipe to represent the Tobacco Clan.  It is in excellent good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.