Kewa Pueblo Historic Polychrome Pictorial Pottery Serving Bowl [SOLD]

Occasionally we receive a pottery item that is decorated in such a manner that it brings a smile to one’s face. This Kewa bowl qualifies as such. The birds on its interior are so charming that it is not possible to look at them and not smile. The potter certainly must have enjoyed painting them.

The bowl itself is a work of art. The flat bottom serves as a base for beautifully flaring walls that grow upward and end in a graceful outward rolling rim that was highlighted with black pigment with a ceremonial line break.  Bowls with rims that flare outward like this one generally date to late 19th or early 20th century.

The bottom portion of the bowl was slipped in red clay from the base to just below the double framing lines at the bottom of the decorated area. The pair of framing lines features ceremonial line breaks. Simple floral elements surround the exterior of the bowl.  They appear to be swaying with the wind.

Condition: A minor rim chip has been professionally restored to its previous condition and a couple slip cracks have been checked and found to be stable. The bowl is now in excellent condition and ready to be enjoyed for its beautiful shape and charming animals.

Provenance: this Kewa Pueblo Historic Polychrome Pictorial Pottery Serving Bowl is from the collection of a client from Washington, D.C.

Recommended Reading: A River Apart: The Pottery of Cochiti & Santo Domingo Pueblos by Valerie Verzuh, et al.

Relative Links: Southwest Indian Pottery, Historic Pottery, Kewa Pueblo – Santo Domingo Pueblo