Child Size Zia Pueblo Polychrome Pictorial Jar [SOLD]

Harviana Pino Toribio (1904-1949) Sr'audyuwi' was an outstanding potter who did not live into the post-1950s to witness the appreciation of her work.  Harlow and Lanmon documented many of her jars and printed photos of her in the book The Pottery of Zia Pueblo (see reference below).  She was an excellent potter and sufficient works by her have been identified from collections and some identified by other potters from Zia Pueblo as having been made by her.  It is now easier to attribute work to her based on documented examples.

She is known mostly for large jars but she is documented as having made smaller ones as well.  She has painted birds on Zia pottery in various styles—some with small heads and pointed ears, some with small heads and round red ears, wings that are singular and some that are in pairs.

Examination of this small jar with an undulating double rainbow, and four birds satisfies one that it was made by Harviana.  The birds are very similar to ones on jars posted in the Zia book as having been made by her.  Someone wrote in pencil on the bottom Harviana Toribio Zia N.M Aug 38 [1938] No. 11 — it was probably not put there by the potter but by the purchaser.  Such collection data is rare and very important.

The red slip used in the decoration is strong and bold.  The black painted designs on the cream slip is a good contrast.   

Condition: the jar is in excellent structural condition and the painted areas are in very good condition as well.

Reference and Recommended Reading: The Pottery of Zia Pueblo by Francis H. Harlow & Dwight P. Lanmon.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery. 

Provenance: from a private collection