This is a distinctive oval-shaped jar by Nathan Youngblood.  The piece is fully carved and polished a deep red.  The bowl a round shape and an oval opening.  The piece is deeply carved with a water serpent encircling the piece. Below the avanyu is a river pattern.  Inside the rim there is a lightning pattern.  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 jar 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”.