This is a striking miniature by Nancy Youngblood.  It is one of her very deeply carved melon bowls that swirl down from the neck to the base to create the “S” shape.  There are sixteen ribs and each rib is carved into the clay and each is fully stone polished.  Consider that each rib has two “sides” to be polished and the surface area of the piece is about double its size!  The red coloration is striking on this piece with an even tonality.  The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood-Lugo”. Definitely a classic in red!

Nancy said of her pottery:

“The red firings are much more difficult. When you fire a red [pot] it can easily get overfired or a breeze can come in and the smoke can darken it. They are really touchy and much more difficult. I tell my kids, don’t get attached to any particular piece. It hurts when they don’t come out. It’s more challenging to make a more pointed shaped shoulder than a simple rounded bowl. You have to flip them over when you are polishing and holding them at an angle. It’s not just one surface to polish but each side of every rib. They are all hard to do. If it was easy.  Nancy Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay