This is an intricately carved jar by Christopher Youngblood.  He is creating carved vessels that reflect a strong balance of matte and polished surfaces with tightly carved designs.  This jar is coil-built, carved, and stone polished.  The jar has four rainclouds carved around the neck.  They are rounded out and fully polished red.  Extending down from each of the clouds are micaceous slipped lightning bolts and red polished oval raindrops.  Around the shoulder of the jar is a deeply carved avanyu.  It is polished red and the body has swirling water and jagged lightning patterns.  Note how he carved the lightning so that it is layered and extends behind the avanyu!  The inside of the jar is slipped with mica.  The background area surrounding the polished sections is matte and smooth.  The matte is always difficult to keep smooth so that any imperfection doesn’t cast a shadow!  The jar was traditionally fired red, which is always more difficult than creating the black pieces.  The red on this piece is a deep, rich coloration.  Chris says that he focuses on each piece, taking the time to work on the shape and stone polish the surface to a high shine, often polishing a piece several times to get it right. He has won numerous awards for his pottery, including the 2104 “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market and “Best of Pottery” at Gallup Ceremonials in 2021.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Chris Youngblood”.

Chris has said of his pottery:

“I’ve had generations of people before me who have had to learn the hard way. I’ve had that information given to me without having to go through all the struggles. But, I would say on the flip side, having someone so technically advanced as your teacher (Nancy Youngblood), let alone your mother, it’s hard. The expectations are a lot higher.  I’ve learned that now, I never think it’s done. I keep going until I cannot find anything I can refine or add to the piece. To achieve an ever-higher level of precision takes a lifetime. ’s not something you learn, it’s something you live.”  Christopher Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay