This is an extraordinary fine Santo Domingo serving bowl that follows the pueblo's traditions in every aspect of materials, construction and design. The interior of the bowl is decorated in black vegetal paint over the traditional cream-colored rag-wiped bentonite slip. The exterior is without decoration, with the exception of a wide red band wiped onto the surface just below the rim. The natural clay exterior of the bowl was stone polished.

The interior bowl design consists of dark black rain clouds encircling the bowl just below the framing line near the rim. The rim is painted black. Four stepped and stacked triangles in mirror image form radiate outward from the base of the bowl. What appears to have been a pod-like item was in the base of the bowl, but most of it is worn off from extensive use of the bowl. The interior of the bowl has developed a beautiful dark and rich patina from years and years of use at the pueblo prior to being on the market for sale. It is the richest patina I’ve ever seen on a serving bowl.

A printed paper label is attached to the bowl that reads as follows:

Provenance: This Deep Serving Bowl with Interior Design was shown in the exhibit BOWLS: A Pueblo Necessity December 15, 2006 until December 31, 2006 presented at adobe gallery Santa fe.

BOWLS: A Pueblo Necessity
(click here to view details of this past exhibit)

Adobe Gallery Recommended Reading

Recommended Reading: A River Apart: The Pottery of Cochiti & Santo Domingo Pueblos (click here to view details of book) by Valerie Verzuh, et al. (Available from Adobe Gallery)