Youngblood, Nathan – Bowl with Carved Avanyu and Carved Rim

8.5"w x 4.25"h

$ 9,200.00

This is a deeply carved and highly polished red bowl by Nathan Youngblood.  He is well known for his carved pottery and use of both traditional Santa Clara and other designs. This bowl is unusual for Nathan’s work.  The entire surface is fully carved with a water serpent encircling the bowl  The body of the avanyu or water serpent consists of cloud and rain designs.  There are also additional incised dragonfly and lightning designs and even a small plant near the base!  What makes this bowl so unusual is the rim.  The entire rim is fully carved to match the carving of the avanyu!  The result is spectacular and Nathan said that this is only the third time he has tried this technique.  It is more time consuming and risky but the rim seems like another design element to the piece.  The bowl is traditionally fired a very deep red.  While the shape, carving, and designing might seem like enough, Nathan also takes his pottery one step further. After it is fired, he uses small screwdrivers and scrapes the sides of the carved designs and the recessed areas, to create a visually striking contrast.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and deer tracks, which represent his name in Tewa.  Simply stunning!