Acoma Pueblo All-white Corrugated Jar with Turtles [SOLD]

This is a very traditional white corrugated seed jar that was built up from coils of clay left in roll form, not smoothed out. The rows were then impressed with a triangular-shaped stick to achieve the design. This is similar to prehistoric utilitarian wares in which the rows of coils of clay were left visible.

Shutiva spent most of her career making pottery in the fashion of pre-historic corrugated utilitarian wares, a style revived by her mother, Jessie Garcia. She said she admired her mother's corrugated pottery so much that she vowed she would learn how to make it herself. It took her four years to master the technique, but master it she did.

Garcia, Shutiva's mother, is given credit for reviving the ancient art of corrugated pottery, but instead of the earth-colored clay generally used for the prehistoric corrugated wares; she chose to use the white, un-slipped Acoma clay, thus marrying the style of the old ways with a look of the new.

Shutiva brought her mother's creation to fruition and spent her career almost exclusively devoted to making white corrugated wares. Adding painted designs to small portions of her pottery was an addition late in her career as was the addition of animal and reptile forms in bas-relief.

This seed jar with four white turtles clinging to the walls of the vessel was probably made in the 1970s. The corrugated rows of clay are continuous from the bottom of the vessel to the rim. There is no flattened bottom to the jar. The artisan's name is painted on the underside.

Condition:  the jar is in original condition. 

Provenance: from the collection of Katherine H. Rust

Recommended Reading:  Acoma and Laguna Pottery by Rick Dillingham