Joseph Youngblood-Lugo is the youngest son of noted potter Nancy Youngblood and a great-grandson of Margret Tafoya.  He learned to make pottery from his mother, so his technical skills are exceptional.  Each piece is coil-built, carved, stone polished, and native-fired outdoors. This jar has a wide shoulder and a short neck.  It is deeply carved and highly polished.  Joseph  said of this piece:

“There are four different depicted on this piece: water, sun, earth, and the wind over the mountains.  To me, the jar is a symbol of a prayer towards all four directions.”

The designs are highly polished with areas of mica. The black micaceous band around the shoulder is the earth’s horizon, separating the sky from the world below.  The depth of carving on this piece is exceptional!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Joseph Youngblood Lugo”.  Joseph continues to make creative and thoughtful works in clay.

“Our tradition is in the clay.  Traditional pottery is doing the process yourself, including digging the clay, respecting our ancestors, and thanking the earth for providing the clay for us.  The Pueblo pottery from a century ago is timeless and can remain an important source of inspiration in the future.” Joseph Lugo, “Future in Clay”, 2022