This is a classic swirl melon jar by Nancy Youngblood.  The red is a striking coloration and the ribs on this jar are very deeply carved and highly polished.  The jar has 16 ribs, which extend from the mouth to the base. The swirls back and forth in the classic “S” Swirl.  As Nancy has said about this form:

“The “S” swirl starts with the rib on the right, then it goes to the left, to the right, to the left to the right to the left to the right, and finally to the left. It’s three times on the right and three times on the left. It is extremely difficult to polish because you are moving your hand right to left to right to left as quickly as you can. Then you have to flip the pot over and do it the opposite way.  Technically, this is one of the most difficult pieces to polish because you are continually flipping it around.  My grandmother was doing pieces along time ago with that S swirl and so was my uncle Camilo. I saw a piece of my uncle Camilo’s pottery at a gallery here in Santa Fe. It was just a vase, but it had the big swirls on it all the way around. I wanted to make something uniquely mine and not copy theirs so that’s why I created these very intricate swirls.” Nancy Youngblood, Spoken Through ClayNancy Youngblood, Spoken Through Clay

Each rib is highly polished and note the depth and the sharp edge of each rib.  Consider that each rib has two “sides” to be polished and the surface area of the piece is about double its size!  The outdoor firing of red pottery is always riskier, as it is hard to predict the final coloration.  This jar has a deep red that flows across the surface.   Nancy has won numerous awards for her melon bowls and this is undoubtedly a classic of her style, most recently the 2018 “Best of Pottery” at Santa Fe Indian Market.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood, 2020”.