Bowl

To create her pieces, Lucy Lewis used traditional pottery techniques from her home in the Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico. She built up coils of clay to create the initial shape, then smoothed them out and polished the form before firing the work using cow dung. In decorating her works, however, Lewis moved away from tradition by using very little background decoration. She also commonly incorporated images inspired by ancient American Indian symbols. In this bowl, Lewis applied the deer with heart-line design, a spiritual symbol associated with many activities, such as asking the gods for a successful hunt and a wish for a peaceful death (Art Education, September 1990).