Zuni Pueblo Polychrome Terrace Rim Bowl [SOLD]

This is truly a rare and unusual ceremonial Zuni bowl. It was formed from native Zuni clays with crushed pottery shards as the temper. It is orange-slipped and stoned-polished on the upper half and red slipped and stone polished on the lower half.

This is a vessel formed seemingly freehand with little emphasis on symmetry or perfection of form. It sits at a very slight, almost indistinguishable, tilt from horizontal.

The rim is terraced, as is standard for ceremonial bowls and jars. It is stated that the terraces represent the horizon with mountains from whence rise the clouds. The rim is painted with mineral black paint and the terraces are outlined in the same fashion.

The mid-body is encircled with nodules that protrude as if representing breasts. For a possible explanation of this, it is best to quote from a passage published in the Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, in 1882: “Is not the bowl the emblem of the earth, our mother? For from her we draw both food and drink, as a babe draws nourishment from the breast of its mother.”

The exterior designs are extremely minimal in that they consist only of two dragonflies painted in black mineral paint. Each of the nodules is also painted in mineral black.

The geographic isolation of the Zuni people led to the development of distinctive style and form for Zuni ceremonial vessels. The figures and images presented on ceremonial jars and bowls are most often associated with water; water serpents, frogs, tadpoles, and dragonflies being the most common represented (Frank and Harlow, p.138). This exquisite vessel has a distinctive patina, developed thought generations of use and ritual handling. The matte paint has taken on a fine semi-gloss patina of velvety sheen.

The bottom of the vessel does not display a concave shape as on water jars. Since this vessel was intended to be used for ceremonial purposes, and not for hauling and storing water, a flat base was deemed preferable.

This is an intriguing vessel of considerable presence and fantastic visual history. It probably dates to no later than 1890.