PATRICIA: This pot is so almost perfectly symmetrical. And some might even mistake it for being machine made.

TANTOO: It was in fact created by the Tewa artist Maria Martinez and her husband Julian Martinez, of the San Ildefonso Pueblo in Northern New Mexico. Maria shaped the vessel by hand, using the ancient coiling method to gradually build up the form. Patricia Marroquin Norby:

PATRICIA: It was entirely created by Maria’s hands, with great care and great patience, using local natural resources close to her community, places that are considered sacred to the Tewa people and the San Ildefonso community.

TANTOO: Julian then added the undulating form of the water serpent, Awanyu, to the surface of the pot, painting it on with a mixture of wet clay and bee weed. The figure recalls the Rio Grande River, a vital local water source.

[SFX: TRICKLING WATER?]

PATRICIA: When you look closely at this pot, you see the striking image of Awanyu, the water serpent, or the water deity. A bolt of lightning emerges from Awanyu’s mouth, representing rain. And along the sides you can see rain clouds, a source of water and life, that filled the river.

You also see many of the markings of the river stones. Smooth rocks that were collected by Maria, herself, or passed down from earlier generations.

TANTOO: Finally, Maria and Julian used an innovative firing technique to give the pot its unique black-on-black appearance, recalling ancient shards uncovered at Pueblo archaeological sites.

And so, the natural elements – Earth, Air, Water, and Fire – are all embodied in this singular vessel.