This is a deeply carved and highly polished red jar by Nathan Youngblood.  He is well known for his carved pottery and use of both traditional Santa Clara and other designs. This jar has a round body and a short sloping neck.  The entire jar is fully polished.  Around the center, it is fully carved with design.  Nathan says of the design,

“The jar has a mesa pattern in the center.  Going to the left, the wind is blowing off the mesa with swirling clouds.  The round medallion opposite the mesa steps is the sun in the clouds at sunset.  Then the clouds and rain come back to the mesa completing the cycle of the day.

The jar is very fully carved and each of the sections of design change, flow and interlock as the jar is turned.  The red clay slip is deep and rich in coloration and the jar was traditionally fired. The shape shows off the imagery and the angle of the short neck beautifully reflects the light.  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!