Zuni Pueblo Historic Polychrome Olla [R]

According to Lanmon and Harlow in The Pottery of Zuni Pueblo, there are several factors that can be used to date Zuni Polychrome pottery.  These factors have been gleaned from the enormous collections of pottery by the BAE from Zuni Pueblo in the periods 1879 and 1885 and from the collections by the American Museum of Natural History between 1889 and 1912.

Some of the factors are vessel form, interior neck paint, underbody paint, and design changes.  During the Kiapkwa Polychrome period (which preceded the Zuni Polychrome period), vessel shapes appeared globular with a high shoulder rolling over and rising to a short neck.  This Zuni jar has a shape similar to late Kiapkwa Polychrome jars but is of later manufacture based on other criteria.  The interior of the neck is painted in a wide brown slip, indicative of the Zuni Polychrome period, and the underbody is painted brown.  Indications are that this jar dates to the late 1800s.

The neck band decoration is quite similar to one in the referenced book that is dated 1870-1880 by the authors.  The body is composed almost entirely of hachured designs, executed in brown and red and outlined heavily in brown.

Condition:  There are several nicks at the rim, a chip missing on the underside, and some abrasion of the decoration.  These are quite acceptable on a late 19^th century jar.

Provenance:  From the collection of an Arizona collector of historic pottery

Recommended Reading: The Pottery of Zuni Pueblo by Dwight Lanmon and Francis Harlow