Dunlap, Carmelita and Carlos Dunlap – Red Jar with Bird Wings and Cloud Designs (1970s)

This is an impressive large jar by Carmelita Dunlap and her son Carlos Dunlap.  It is a one the pieces fired to their famous “brown” coloration.  The jar is a late collaborative piece, as Carlos passed away in 1981, the same year this jar was made.  Carmelita would make and polish the pottery while Carlos would paint the designs and fire them to the brown coloration. This piece is a classic water jar shape.  The jar has rain clouds and prayer feathers as the design.  The entire piece is fully painted.  The contrast of the polished and matte surfaces on the jar is striking, giving the imagery a more dramatic appearance.   Typical of her work, there is a lot of open space to let the polishing, shine, and simplicity of design each stand on their own. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Carlos Dunlap and Carmelita Dunlap”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There are some slight areas of wear, which are due to the brown firing, which leaves the pottery a bit underfired and the surface more easily rubbed.