Acoma Pueblo Historic Pottery Jar with Pie Crust Rim [SOLD]

This historic polychrome pottery jar was made by an unknown Acoma Pueblo potter. We estimate that it dates to the 1930s. The jar's high shoulder is the trait that suggests this period, as earlier examples would reach their widest point closer to the center. The jar does have the look and feel of a historic piece, but there is no indication it was used prior to being sold so, perhaps, it was made to be sold.

An additional characteristic that aligns with this time period is the orange band of impressed decoration that circles the rim. This "pie crust" edge, as it has become known, began to appear around 1900 and became more popular around 1920. During the 1950s, its popularity declined. While some published examples show the impressed elements pressed into the pots' thin walls, this particular jar's impressed elements sit within an additional coil of clay. A somewhat similar decorative style exists, using a coil of clay with impressed diagonal lines circling the rim to create what looks like coiled rope. This design, interestingly, is known to have appeared on functional jars dating back to the 1800s.

Below the pie crust rim, two design bands appear. A smaller band circles the shoulder with a single element, which appears repeatedly. Down below, a wider band covers much of the jar's exterior in large triangular forms, which are composed of many traditional Acoma design elements. Most of the painted designs appear in black, lending additional weight to the occasional appearances of a warm orange tone. This is an excellent example of the pottery produced at Acoma Pueblo during the 1930s.

Whether pottery comes from what has been called the "modern" period or the "historic" period should not affect one's opinion of that item. Those designations were arbitrarily created by anthropologists and ethnologists as a means of classification. There have been several dividing lines established between modern and historic and no one knows where that dividing line truly exists, if one even does exist. Is 1880, 1920, 1940 or later the correct point to divide modern from historic? We at Adobe Gallery assign terminology as a guide, but not a commitment. We consider whether pottery was made for utilitarian purposes (historic) or made to be sold to tourists and collectors (modern). Some pottery was made for sale in the same style and during an earlier time period as that being made for use. In that case, we would consider it historic, not modern. Setting an arbitrary classification can be confusing and is at the discretion of the person setting it. Two individuals could differ on how to classify the same jar.

Condition: excellent condition, some light abrasion from handling, no restoration or repair

Provenance: this Acoma Pueblo Historic Pottery Jar with Pie Crust Rim is from a Santa Fe resident who purchased it in the early 1970s from Rick Dillingham and Joe Carr when they shared a business in Santa Fe.

Reference and Recommended Reading: The Pottery of Acoma Pueblo by Dwight P. Lanmon and Francis H. Harlow, 2013. Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Acoma Pueblo, Historic Pottery