This is the first jar in this style by Jared Tso.  He is one of the rising stars of Native pottery.  He is a grandson of potter Faye Tso and his pottery is exceptionally refined in technique and traditional in style.  Each piece is coil-built from traditional native Navajo clay and traditionally fired.  This jar is entitled “4-3-2-1”.  There are four ripples, three legs, two colors, and one opening.  Let’s examine the shape first.  There are four sharp edges that create the “ripples” on the jar.  It is difficult to create such sharp edges, but also a symmetry between each rib and the rounded space between them.  The jar has a sharp point plus two “feet”, creating the “three legs” that hold it an an angle. The piece is a spectacular color with different colors of brown. Jared said the coloration was just the result of the firing!  Of course, the “1” is the elongated neck with the slightly inturned rim.  A jar like this may seem simple but there is a complexity to each aspect of the piece.  It was traditionally fired to create striking color variations across the surface.  After the firing, the jar is then covered in pinon pitch.  It is exciting to see an artist find inspiration in the historic work and, using the same clays, refine them in a modernistic manner.  The jar is signed, “Jared Tso”.