Cochiti Pueblo Small Pottery Jar with Elaborate Birds

This stunning jar is a beautiful example of the less common vessel production at Cochiti Pueblo. While Cochiti artists are famous for their figurative pottery (storytellers, monos), few potters are specifically known for jars and bowls, making this piece's maker an exciting mystery.

The jar boasts a lovely traditional form: the body expands gracefully from the base, swells to a high shoulder, and curves inward to rise to a vertical rim.

The complex design is contained entirely on the upper section. A pair of framing lines define the space, with the lower line anchoring a series of four geometric and animal motifs. The design begins with four bold, black-filled stepped elements.

Flanking these steps, V-shaped elements provide a roost for an elegant bird. Each bird is rendered with a distinctive top knot and a single arch across its back, framed by striking black triangles. This sophisticated design is repeated four times around the jar, creating a rhythmic and cohesive pattern that highlights the unique artistry of the unknown Cochiti painter.

There is a lower black framing line dividing the cream and red slips. All framing lines feature a ceremonial line break. There are weak fire clouds on the lower section of the jar.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Cochiti Pueblo Small Pottery Jar with Elaborate Birds is from a client of Adobe Gallery from Arizona

Recommended Reading: A RIVER APART, The Pottery of Cochiti & Santo Domingo Pueblos, Edited by Valerie K. Verzuh, Foreword by Shelby Tisdale, Essays by Bruce Bernstein, J. J. Brody, Antonio Chavarria, Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh, Mateo Romero, and Valerie K. Verzuh. Published in association with the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, NM.

TAGS: Santo Domingo Pueblo, Pueblo Pottery, Cochiti Pueblo