Santo Domingo potters were early to adapt their pottery to the needs of travelers. They made shapes the travelers were familiar with and they made small pieces the travelers could conveniently take in their baggage.

Tourists visiting New Mexico took home souvenirs that they could use. A piece like this one would possibly be used as a pencil holder or container for something else. This one does not appear to have been used as it is in excellent condition. It is a nice small jar, probably dating to the mid-1900s.

Provenance: From the estate of Transcendental artist Florence Pierce of Albuquerque who passed away in 2007 at the age of 89. She was best known for luminescent paintings made of pigmented resins on reflective surfaces. Her interest in abstraction began in the 1930s when she was an associate of the Transcendental Painting Group. The New York Times called her “the doyenne of abstract art in the Southwest” following her art exhibit in New York City in 2006.

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)