Acoma Polychrome OLLA by Lolita Torivio Concho

This polychrome OLLA was created by Lolita Torivio Concho of Acoma Pueblo. With this piece, Concho offered traditional designs and a traditional vessel shape, executed beautifully in a modern style. Concho's designs are strong and tight; each element is appealing when studied closely or viewed from afar as part of the larger whole.

Concho elevated the strength of the OLLA, or water jar, with a unique color palette. The typical orange, red, and black tones appear, though in unusually bold variations. The rainbows over the parrots feature brown, tan, and soft pink tones, creating an attractive combination of warm colors and earth tones. The vessel itself is perfectly balanced, with a traditional Acoma OLLA shape. This is an excellent example of Lolita Concho's pottery.

Nineteenth century documents report live macaws kept at Zuni, Laguna, Isleta, San Felipe, and Santo Domingo, as well as macaw feathers at Sandia, San Juan, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, and Nambe Pueblos (Schroeder 1991:18-20). Fewkes (1900:706) states, "Birds were among the first animals to which property-right attached among the Hopi, and of these the more important were the eagle, the turkey, and the parrot." Based on clan ownership of eagles, Fewkes (1900) suggests that clans owned parrots as well. Trade among the Pueblos in macaw feathers is noted in many historical documents (Schroeder 1991:20). Arroyo Hondo Pueblo Project website

The bottom of the jar is signed L. Concho.

Lolita Concho (1914-2000) was born at Acoma Pueblo. She spent her life at the pueblo making pottery for collectors and museums. She was an outstanding potter and one of the few who could make large jars. Adobe Gallery commissioned her to make large jars like the ones depicted in R. C. Gorman's lithographs "Water Carrier" and "Acoma" in the early 1980s. The results were breathtaking. She was a prize-winning potter who found time to teach the techniques of pottery making to her daughter-in-law, Dorothy Torivio. Concho passed away in 2000.

Condition: very good condition, some spalling, no cracks or chips

Provenance: this Acoma Polychrome OLLA by Lolita Torivio Concho is from a private Florida collection

Recommended Reading: Acoma & Laguna Pottery by Rick Dillingham

TAGS: Acoma Pueblo, Southwest Indian Pottery, Contemporary Pottery, Dorothy Torivio, Lolita Torivio Concho