Youngblood, Nathan – Bowl with Carved Avanyu and Impressed Rainbows

8.5"w x 4.75"h

$ 7,000.00

This wide bowl by Nathan Youngblood which is part of his series, “The Space Between”.  These pieces are inspired by the early carved work of Sarafina Tafoya (1863-1949) and Margaret Tafoya (1904-2001).  This wide bowl has a carved avanyu encircling the piece.  The avanyu is deeply carved into the clay before being polised and fired.  Nathan said of the avanyu design:

 “The water serpent (avanyu) is not what people think of a ‘water snake’.  It is a reference to the way the rivers run.  They are all integrated and connect everything.  Creeks become streams, streams become rivers which become oceans.  The oceans are fed by everything around the world.  It binds us. That is why when we go to the water and throw in cornmeal and pray.  The water and water serpent connect us to the entire world.”

In addition to the avanyu, there are impressed rainbows around the neck of the piece. They are carved into the clay and then Nathan stone polishes the surface to his “glass-like” appearance.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and deer tracks, which represent his name in Tewa, which means “Deer Path”.   Simply elegant combo of carving and polishing.

“The Space Between”: Santa Clara Carved Pottery 1920-Present