This is a large wide shoulder bowl by Nathan Youngblood.  The piece is fully carved, highly polished, and fired a deep red, tan, and buff.  It is one of his classic, “Tri-color” vessels.  The bowl has a wide shoulder and just a TINY neck!  Around the sides, it is carved with rain clouds that are polished red.  Each is different and each interlocks into the next, creating a sense of motion.  Below the red clouds are tan polished fog or mist clouds. They are rolling in under the rain clouds and are polished tan, in a more subtle coloration.  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 tan is the natural color of the clay and is polished with water.  The contrast of the three colors and two textures (matte and polished) creates a spectacular “tri-color” vessel.  It is an exceptionally intricate jar with sharp edges and complex patterns. The piece was 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”.