Acoma Historic Polychrome Pottery Bowl with Birds

This polychrome bowl was created by an Acoma Pueblo artist. It is an unusual piece in multiple ways, the most notable of which being the form. The base is a totally flat circle measuring about six inches in diameter. Many bowls of this size have a flat base of some sort, but it's usually much smaller. That the circular wall of the bowl begins with a sharp curve upward rather than a gentle rounded curve is also atypical, as is the way the rim is flared outward rather than curved inward. It is a unique vessel form and certainly an attractive one.

The painted designs are also distinctive. No painted designs appear on the exterior or base, just red slip, and a number of gray fire clouds. The interior is slipped in white, with a large floral element appearing in the center and ten identical birds forming a circle near the rim. It should be noted that there's nothing out of the ordinary about these three colors by themselves, but there's something special about the way they come together to form such a desirable palette.

The visual impact of the coloration and painted designs is heightened by patina and visible wear. The bowl likely dates to around 1910. Its age is both visible and tangible in the appealing manner that is sought by collectors of fine historic pottery.

Condition: excellent condition. Wear from handling and use, including a small exterior rim chip. A slip crack appears near the edge of the base on the exterior, but it does not carry through to the interior.

Provenance: this Acoma Historic Polychrome Pottery Bowl with Birds is from the collection of a client of the gallery

Recommended Reading: Acoma & Laguna Pottery by Rick Dillingham

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Acoma Pueblo, Historic Pottery