Historic Polychrome Acoma Pueblo Pottery Jar with Dark Coloration [SOLD]

This wonderful polychrome jar was made by an unknown Acoma Pueblo potter. Its wide, high-shouldered form is quite appealing, and its complex designs offer much to admire. It is a bit smaller than the typical functional olla, and the compact size works well for these bold designs and colors.

The primary element is a bird perched atop a bending plant. The bird’s curved beak meets the end of a flowering branch. They’re framed by an oval shape, and the design appears three times on the surface of the jar. The areas outside of the primary design display a complex pattern of triangular forms. These forms fall into long lines, which curve softly and smoothly along with the oval frame and ultimately form larger triangular forms.

A notably unique characteristic of this piece is the potter’s application of black pigments over most of the orange areas. The smooth, opaque application that we see in other areas was abandoned here in favor of an uneven application, which resulted in smoky clouds of black hanging over the bright orange. This appears around the base as well. It’s an unusual and beautiful touch that enhances the strength of this fine piece.

This small jar is of the size normally referred to as a child's water jar. This is not meant to indicate that a child made it but is meant to reveal that it is a size that a young girl would experiment walking while balancing it on her head. It may not have had any water in it during this training. But, as you can imagine, these child's jars are quite rare.

Condition: excellent condition, blacklight examination reveals no restoration or repair

Provenance: this Historic Polychrome Acoma Pueblo Pottery Jar with Dark Coloration is from a private collection

Recommended Reading: Acoma & Laguna Pottery by Rick Dillingham

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Acoma Pueblo, Historic Pottery