Historic Acoma Pueblo Polychrome Pottery Jar with Parrots and Flowers [SOLD]

One often asks why an Acoma Pueblo potter would spend so much time designing and painting a pottery jar that was intended for use as a water jar.  The answer is that pueblo potters have an intrinsic awareness of beauty and wish to enjoy the simple water jar as a work of art as well.  It may not improve the functionality of the vessel but it enriches the lives of all who see it.

This Acoma jar was brought to us by a member of a local pueblo who said it had originally belonged to her grandmother, then to her mother and now to her, but she now needed to sell it.  It is a circa 1940 era jar from Acoma Pueblo that does not evidence having been used as a water jar. It was apparently a treasure of her family that was admired and displayed. Although the jar was not used as a water jar at Acoma, it could have been made for such use but was sold before being used.

Another question often asked is what is the meaning of the designs?  If the designs have any meaning, then it may be simply a meaning to the potter and not grasped by a person from another culture.  It may be a harmony between a painted design and the three-dimensional surface on which it is painted. Many potters say that they determine a design based on the shape of a vessel.  They immediately visualize the design they wish to use after the vessel is finished. Of course, the use of parrots on a jar is popular because such jars are desired by collectors.

Acoma potters generally present a design in one of two different manners.  One is to use the entire vessel as a single canvas with no distinction between the rim, shoulder and body of the vessel, that is, the design expands over the shoulder and to the rim without divination.  The other manner is to draw a framing line at the shoulder and then treat the neck design and body design as separate entities.

This jar has a design covering the entire surface with no division at the shoulder.  There are basically two design styles to this jar. One design element is floral, with flowers on the lower body and on the shoulder.   The other design features parrots presented in orange slip, outlined in brown. An undulating orange rainbow outlined in brown pigment encircles the jar.  In typical Acoma fashion, the interior of the rim was painted orange.

The jar is beautiful both in its vessel's shape and design layout.  The design chosen by the potter is perfect for the shape of the jar.  The use of brown design provides a beautiful compliment for the orange birds.  The floral design is strong yet delicate—a good balance. 

Condition: this Historic Acoma Pueblo Polychrome Pottery Jar with Parrots and Flowers is in very good condition with a slight rocking posture.

Provenance: from the collection of a resident of San Felipe Pueblo

Recommended Reading: Acoma & Laguna Pottery by Rick Dillingham

Relative Links: Southwest Indian Pottery, Acoma Pueblo, Historic Pottery