Belen Tapia was a diverse potter creating everything from painted to carved pottery.  This is a very unusual piece of her pottery.  It is a clay pitcher that is fully polished, including the handle and the inside of the spout.  Around the neck are rain, cloud, and lightning designs.  They are very tightly painted and perfectly match the form.  The pitcher was fired to a glassy black.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Belen Tapia”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is amazing to me that a piece like this with a handle can survive in such great shape over the years.  It’s beautiful in person!