Youngblood, Nancy – 32 Slant Rib Melon Jar with Flame Lid, Ribbon
$ 18,000.00
This is a spectacular lidded melon jar by Nancy Youngblood. The jar is deeply carved with 32 melon ribs that extend from the rim to the base. Note on the top of the bowl how each rib is delineated and carved to a separate point! It’s incredible that they don’t chip or crack when she is carving or polishing them. What makes the shape work is is the ribs seem to fold around the piece so that the shape remains visible but there is an unexpected fluidity and movement. This is the difficulty but the strength of this piece is that it remains in perfect balance. Thirty-two ribs encircle the piece. They are carved into the clay and then each is stone polished. Consider that each rib has two “sides” to be polished and the surface area of the piece is about double its size! Nancy said of the “slant swirl” style of her pottery:
“My slant swirl starts on the left and goes halfway around the pot. Half of the slant goes to the center part of the pot, and the other half goes to the other half of the pot. If you divide it up, this whole swirl will go halfway around the piece. I’d never seen anybody do a slant like that before. There’s a formula to doing it. It’s hard to explain how I do it, unless you see it. If you get distracted and you just move that line over just a little, it throws your whole design off. It can’t be even a fraction off.” Nancy Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay
The jar also has a “flame” lid with melon ribs carved into each side. The lid adds to the overall impact of the piece. The results are stunning with a glassy surface, angled to reflect the light. Nancy has won numerous awards for her melon bowls and this is undoubtedly iconic of her style. Most recently she won the 2018 “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market. This bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood, 2025”. The last photos are are of the firing process of this piece.
In stock
This is a spectacular lidded melon jar by Nancy Youngblood. The jar is deeply carved with 32 melon ribs that extend from the rim to the base. Note on the top of the bowl how each rib is delineated and carved to a separate point! It’s incredible that they don’t chip or crack when she is carving or polishing them. What makes the shape work is is the ribs seem to fold around the piece so that the shape remains visible but there is an unexpected fluidity and movement. This is the difficulty but the strength of this piece is that it remains in perfect balance. Thirty-two ribs encircle the piece. They are carved into the clay and then each is stone polished. Consider that each rib has two “sides” to be polished and the surface area of the piece is about double its size! Nancy said of the “slant swirl” style of her pottery:
“My slant swirl starts on the left and goes halfway around the pot. Half of the slant goes to the center part of the pot, and the other half goes to the other half of the pot. If you divide it up, this whole swirl will go halfway around the piece. I’d never seen anybody do a slant like that before. There’s a formula to doing it. It’s hard to explain how I do it, unless you see it. If you get distracted and you just move that line over just a little, it throws your whole design off. It can’t be even a fraction off.” Nancy Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay
The jar also has a “flame” lid with melon ribs carved into each side. The lid adds to the overall impact of the piece. The results are stunning with a glassy surface, angled to reflect the light. Nancy has won numerous awards for her melon bowls and this is undoubtedly iconic of her style. Most recently she won the 2018 “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market. This bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood, 2025”. The last photos are are of the firing process of this piece.
