This is a deeply carved tri-color large water jar by Nathan Youngblood.  The piece is fully carved and polished, deep red, tan and buff.  The shape of the jar is a classic low shoulder water jar.  The base of the jar is polished tan, which is the natural color of the clay.  The body of the jar is polished a deep red coloration.  The rim of the jar is fully polished, as is the inside of the rim.  The title of the jar referes to the various Pueblo (Santa Clara) designs used throughout the piece and how, together, they tell the story of Pueblo culture and life.  The neck has an eagle feather, cloud and walking bear paw designs.  The “walking bear paw” is a design often used by Nathan’s grandmother, Margaret Tafoya.  The central band has a carved avanyu (water serpent).  Above the avanyu is a matte rainbow while below are matte waves. The body of the avanyu consists of cloud, wind and lightning patterns.  It is a very complex design with both angular and circular carving!  The contrast of the polished red and tan is stunning!  It is an exceptionally intricate jar with sharp edges and complex patterns. It 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”.