Nancy Youngblood has always worked with traditional materials and methods, including firing, and she has been able to fine-tune the process to such an extent that her pots are truly examples of beauty. Nancy refined the traditional melon bowl form, developing the melon’s ribs into an “s” shape. This pot has 32 ribs, which is incredibly difficult to produce. Incising the clay is a tradition at Santa Clara, developed by Nancy Youngblood’s grandmother Margaret Tafoya. Nancy’s website indicates that she was also influenced by the work of Grace Medicine Flower and Teresita Naranjo. (http://www.nancyyoungbloodinc.com/biography.html)

This pot was purchased from Gallery 10 in Scottsdale. Lee Cohen, the owner of Gallery 10, was an early and avid promoter of Nancy Youngblood’s pottery.