Rodney John (20th Century) Navajo, Hand-Etched Pottery and Turquoise Vase. Using the exquisite sgraffito technique the black and cream images of rams, coyotes, and bison adorn the sides of the piece, along with intricate geometric shapes and three inset pieces of turquoise. Signed and dated '88 on the underside. 

Size: 13 1/2 x 15 1/2 in. 

Rodney John is a Navajo (Diné) potter, residing on the Navajo reservation in Aneth, Utah, from the two clans Nahoobaanii (Grey Streaked Ends People) and Kinlichii’nii (The Redhouse People). He has been making pottery for over 30 years, since he was in high school, initially to feed and clothe himself as well as his younger siblings, and works in a style known as hand etching or “sgraffito.” The process involves applying layers of color over the clay once the pot is formed, then using extremely fine tools to etch down through the layers to precisely the color desired for each pattern in the design. His works are highly intricate and desired by collectors around the world, with exhibitions at the Denver Art Museum, the Museum of International Folk Art, and the Museum of Indian Arts & Crafts. 

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