Polychrome Zia Pueblo Water Canteen [SOLD]

Water-carrying canteens have been made by the pueblo people for several hundred years, long before the arrival of Europeans. Interestingly enough, the shape of canteens has changed very little in this time. Apparently, the users were quite satisfied with the vessel shape as it was.

According to Harlow and Lanmon,“there are no known Zia jars bearing animals that can be dated reliably before the 1870s.” Jars with red deer were collected in 1887 for the BAE. The authors do not establish a date that deer first appeared on canteens but possibly it was later than appearances on jars.

It is quite likely that this canteen dates to the 1930 decade. The artisan painted a beautiful rendition of a deer as the central item of the design. There are pendant feathers surrounding the circle in which the deer is painted.

Condition: There are rim chips around the spout and one handle has been broken off and glued back in position. Minor abrasions appear on the lower part of the canteen.

Provenance: ex. coll. Indiana Family originally purchased from Dewey Gallery in Santa Fe about 25 years ago.