Acoma Pueblo Heartline Deer Design Pottery Jar by Lucy Lewis [SOLD]

Those who knew Lucy Lewis or at least are familiar with her pottery will recall that the use of heartline deer was one of her personal favorite designs and a favorite of many collectors.  This Acoma Pueblo pottery jar combines the heartline deer with strong geometric polychrome designs as well.

This jar is signed Lucy M. Lewis Acoma.  Earlier, there was a time when she did not sign her pots, identifying them only by their place of origin: Acoma, N. M. or Sky City, N. M.  At that time, Lucy sold her pots from a roadside stand on Route 66 for as little as a dollar or two. Today, they command significantly more.

Lucy continued throughout her life to make pottery in the traditional way; digging and preparing clay, grinding potsherds for temper; coiling the clay into a vessel shape, making her paints from plant and mineral elements, and firing the finished vessels in an open outdoor handmade kiln.

This jar is perhaps one of her later ones: that assumption being based on the very large printing of her name.  It is as fine as any. It does not appear that Lucy Lewis lost her ability to paint extraordinary designs on her vessels, even late in her life.

Condition:  Structurally the jar is in original excellent condition. 

Provenance: this Acoma Pueblo Heartline Deer Design Pottery Jar by Lucy Lewis is  from the collection of a family from Virginia.

Recommended Reading: Lucy M. Lewis: American Indian Potter by Susan Peterson

Relative Links: Southwest Indian Pottery, Acoma Pueblo, Contemporary Pottery, Lucy Martin Lewis