Historic Acoma Polychrome Two-Headed Pottery Bird Figurine

This historic polychrome pottery bird figurine was created by an unknown Acoma Pueblo potter. While one might assume that figurines like this one were made for the tourist trade, Lanmon and Harlow's The Pottery of Acoma Pueblo notes that they were also made for personal enjoyment. Their function is unclear; Lanmon and Harlow suggest that they may have been made for the amusement of children. The presence of small beads of clay turns certain examples into rattles, which backs up Lanmon and Harlow's suggestion. This particular piece does not have a loose piece of clay inside.

The earliest examples pictured in The Pottery of Acoma Pueblo date to around 1870. This piece likely dates to that decade or shortly thereafter. It is intensely and beautifully patinated, with a thick coat of smokey gray covering the entirety of the exterior. While the visible, palpable patina is the most obvious sign of age, there are others that are apparent, including the somewhat primitive nature of the bird heads and the light abrasions that appear in the most vulnerable areas.

As is often the case with bird figurines of the era, this piece has two heads. The larger of the two has an open rim just above its eyes, the smaller one does not. A tail feather appears below the smaller head. A number of design elements in black and orange appear over cream slip, with the patina both darkening and intensifying the coloration. This is a unique and appealing example of early Acoma figurative pottery.

Condition: excellent condition, minor restoration on one beak

Provenance: this Historic Acoma Polychrome Two-Headed Pottery Bird Figurine is from a private collection

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

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Acoma Pueblo, Historic Pottery