Christopher Youngblood creates intricately carved vessels which reflect a perfect balance of matte and polished surfaces with intricately carved designs.   This lidded jar is a striking shape with tall sides. The jar is nearly fully carved with a realistic style eagle on one side. The eagle has carved feathers and rounded areas for the wings.  As the jar is turned, there are Chris’s signature swirls, which are deeply carved into the clay. On the opposite side is a Pubelo bird under a three band rainbow.  The last turn of the jar reveals more swirls!  It is perfectly carved and highly polished. The lid is flat and plain and fits perfectly into the vessel.   The jar is from 2010, and it was originally sold by us, and it has come back to the gallery again.  It is great to see how his creativity and technical strength has been evident for such a long period!  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Chris is a perfectionist with the matte areas of his pottery, as they perfectly balance the highly polished designs.  Chris says that he focuses on each piece, taking the time to work on the shaped 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.