Polychrome Child’s Water Canteen [SOLD]

Rarely do we see 19^th century canteens as small as this one. To find one this small, constructed by a master potter and painted by a talented artist, is a treat. The paste materials are typically Zuni; white and chunky in texture with the centuries old temper material of ground pottery shards. The use of old shards for temper evidences the regard of the pueblo peoples for the old works made by their predecessors. To add these remnants to the new work is a sign of respect.

The shape of pre-1900 canteens, such as this one, was made to resemble a breast; the belief was that as the breast of a woman held the nourishment of life for a child, the canteen held the nourishment (water) from Mother Nature. This shape, if not this thought, disappeared around circa 1900, and the vessel took on a more domed appearance.

The canteen is in original excellent condition, and displays a rich patina that attests to its long life.