Kewa (Santo Domingo) Pueblo Black-on-cream Aguilar Jar [SOLD]

During the period of about 1890 to 1915, the Aguilar sisters produced the finest pottery ever seen from their pueblo.  The jars were tall and graceful, had high shoulders, and were expertly painted.  They produced exquisite pottery long before they created the bold black designs with cream fine lines and the black and red bold ones that we associate with their name today.  Their first works were traditional Santo Domingo Polychrome in design and layout but were among the finest being produced at the pueblo at the turn of the century.

Although they probably continued producing traditional Kewa designs throughout their careers, most of their production after 1910 was the striking black and red jars of their fertile imaginations.  Around 1910, or very close to that, their sales of the standard ware dropped off somewhat.  Julius Seligman, the trader at Kewa Pueblo, suggested to the two women that they experiment with other ways of decorating their pots, perhaps using more red than had been done.  They accepted his advice and the strong designs were then born.

It is these more traditional Kewa designed jars that illustrate their technical abilities in construction and execution of design as the bold black guaco paint is very tricky to apply and must be put on in a thin layer that is almost invisible to see before firing.  If applied too thick, it doesn't fire properly.  Only a single thin layer is needed to achieve this rich black finish after the firing process.

Condition:  The jar had a vertical crack that was practically indistinguishable but it has been professionally treated by a conservator and now is stable and non visible.