Kewa Pueblo Large Historic Polychrome Pottery Storage Jar

This historic pottery vessel is larger than traditional water jars and is more in line with the vessel shape of a storage jar, so that is the designation we have assigned to it. It exhibits the classic traits of Santo Domingo Polychrome. We are assigning a date of circa 1900-1920 to the jar based on the stone-polished red band below the design field and the same on the interior of the neck.

The cream, off-white field is rag-wiped bentonite slip with black vegetal and red slip designs. There is a framing line at the rim and a pair below the design elements. Ceremonial breaks penetrate all the framing lines, but at different points.

The body was designed with two predominant elements—birds and flora. This is quite normal as design elements at Santo Domingo. In this jar, there are three rather large birds floating around the mid-body of the jar. Interspersed between the birds are very elaborate floral designs—large flowers on stems with leaves.

The flower petals and stems are painted black with no outlining in red. The leaves are painted red and black with outlining in black. The cream slip has mellowed to a warm eggshell color.

Provenance: from a private Santa Fe collection

Condition: this Kewa Pueblo Large Historic Polychrome Pottery Storage Jar is in wonderful condition. A few minor nicks at the rim are evident. UV examination of the jar does not reveal any repair or restoration of any sort.

Recommended Reading: A River Apart: The Pottery of Cochiti & Santo Domingo Pueblos by Valerie Verzuh, et al.

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Kewa - Santo Domingo Pueblo, Contemporary Pottery, Ceremonial breaks