This is a classic round bowl by Nathan Youngblood.  The piece is fully carved, highly polished, and fired a deep red.  The design has a water serpent (avanyu) encircling the piece. The body of the avanyu has sections of cloud, rain, and lightning design.  Above the avanyu, near the rim, Nathan has carved high, wispy clouds, or what he calls, “retriever clouds”, as they appear in the fall in the wind and look like the tails of retrievers (see last photo). The carving into the negative space is always more complicated but a more visually striking part of his pottery. There is a single matte band below the avanyu which represents the water.  On a technical note, there is a continuous precision and depth to the carving in his pottery.  The deep red clay slip is high in iron oxide and fires a deep red.  The contrast of the polished red and matte is stunning!  It is an exceptionally intricate jar with sharp edges and complex patterns. The bowl is traditionally fired and on Nathan’s red pieces, after they are fired, he uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving.  This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself!  Amazing the amount of time that goes into each vessel and yet how stunning they appear!  It is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and hallmarked name in Tewa, which means “Deer Path”.