This large new jar by Bobby Silas is so classic in form and design. This gorgeous bowl is hand coiled and traditionally fired outdoors. He uses Zuni clay body and Hopi slips. It is such a pleasure working with Bobby. He is thoughtful, and so willing to teach me about his design work and how it relates to his cultural background. He uses all natural materials for his paints and fires his pottery with lignite coal instead of manure. Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft brown combustible sedimentary rock that is formed from naturally compressed peat. Bobby has revived this Sikyatki method of firing. He acquires the lignite coal near First Mesa at Hopi. This coal burns longer and at a higher temperature than firing pottery with sheep manure.
Here is Bobby’s description of this new piece.

“The neck of the jar shows a rotating cloud with the lines representing rain being held a cloud with prayer feathers below them, and then the heart line/spirit lines is the spirit line of the potter and is never closed but left open because the potter is still living and if one should close it, then he or she would be cutting their life short. So these spirit lines are left open. You can find the spirit line in the top of jar below the neck design and on the bottom. The belly of the jar is a cloud house holding rain as it moves across the sky. The black designs in them represents a prayer sticks which are made as offerings to the spirit world that hold our prayers for moisture for all living beings.” Such a traditional work of art.
9 ½” high by 11 ½” wide