Miniature Four-chamber Pottery Vessel [SOLD]

The Mystery of the Zuni Quadruple Vessel (c. 1900)

This intriguing and rare pottery vessel is a masterclass in Zuni Pueblo's early 20th-century craftsmanship. Composed of four individual bowls joined at their exterior walls, the piece creates a singular, unified form while maintaining four distinct, independent chambers on the interior.

The vessel features a sophisticated contrast in slips and a focused vocabulary of "water" symbols. The exterior is finished in a traditional cream slip, providing a stark, clean canvas for the black pigment designs. In contrast, the interiors are coated in a rich, red slip, a classic Zuni aesthetic choice.

Around the rim of each bowl, black pigment "rains" down in the form of stylized cloud elements. Each bowl is adorned with painted tadpoles. In the arid environment of the Southwest, tadpoles — like frogs and dragonflies — are potent symbols of life-giving water, spring rains, and the health of the community.

Collectors and scholars often debate the practical use of such specialized forms. While its beauty is undeniable, its function remains a subject of fascinating speculation. Multi-chambered vessels were often used in Pueblo ceremonies to hold different colors of sacred cornmeal or various mineral pigments used in ritual painting.  Around 1900, Pueblo potters began creating "whimsies" or unusual shapes specifically for the burgeoning tourist market. The small size suggests it may have been an artistic showcase rather than a utilitarian tool.

As noted in the reference book Collections of Southwestern Pottery - Candlesticks to Canteens, Frogs to Figurines (p. 29), a nearly identical Zuni piece features an arched handle. While that handle suggests a basket-like use, the scale remains too diminutive for carrying significant goods, pointing again toward a ritualistic or decorative purpose.

The combination of the cream and red slips, the specific execution of the tadpole motif, and the historical documentation in the "Candlesticks to Canteens" volume strongly attribute this work to Zuni Pueblo, circa 1900. It is a charming, tactile piece that invites the viewer to ponder the intentions of the potter over a century ago.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Miniature Four-chamber Pottery Vessel is from the collection of a client from New York

Reference: Hayes, Allan and John Blom. Collections of Southwestern Pottery - Candlesticks to Canteens, Frogs to Figurines. Northland Publishing, 1998.

TAGS: puki depression, pottery, Zuni Pueblo, old pottery