Faye Tso was one of the first Navajo potters to use unconventional imagery in her pottery.  While traditional Navajo pottery has very little decoration, Tso applied images of corn maidens, lizards, and dancers to the surface of the clay.  Her grandson, Jarred Tso, is also an important younger potter who is carrying on this amazing family tradition.  This is one of the few figurative pieces I have seen of her work.  It is a mother holding a child.  Note how the skirt and face are slipped with red clay. The shawl and hair are left the natural color of the clay. The back of the shawl is sculptural in style. As well on the back, extending down from the concho belt, are clay pieces that have her signature “dot” designs.  The piece is exceptional in the style of the clay-work, the raised relief areas, and the use of clay colorations.  The figure was traditionally fired and is covered at the end with pinon pitch.  It is signed on the back in the clay, “Faye Tso”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  Definitely a great piece of Navajo pottery history!