This is one of the few red melon rib pieces we have had by Nancy Youngblood.  The red is a striking coloration and the ribs on this jar are deeply carved and highly polished.  The interior of the neck is also fully polished red. The 32 ribs flow down from the neck to the shoulder and then back to the base.  They create her classic “S” swirl!  The shape of the jar is elegant and certainly inspired by the work of her grandmother, Margaret Tafoya, and her great-grandmother, Sara Fina Tafoya.  For the size of the jar, having 32 ribs, means that they are very closely carved and there is an additional precision to keep them from getting chipped or cracked when polishing. As well, note the depth of the carving on this piece.  The entire bowl is fully polished which takes an extraordinary amount of time.  Consider that each rib has two “sides” to be polished and the surface area of the piece is about double its size!  The rim of the jar is matte, which creates a striking visual contrast between the ribs and the interior of the neck.  It also shows off the natural color of the clay.  The outdoor firing of red pottery is always more risky, as it is hard to predict the final coloration.  This jar has a deep red which 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 jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Nancy Youngblood, 2019”.