Tesuque Pueblo Historic Black-on-red Pottery Jar

This historic Tesuque Pueblo Black-on-red jar is a fascinating late 19th-century or turn-of-the-century piece (circa 1880s-1900s). Looking down at the neck and rim interior, there is a clear interior ledge crafted to hold a fitted dome lid; the lid, however, is no longer available. Even without the missing lid, the jar retains its structural integrity and form. The presence of an inner rim/lip specifically built to seat a pottery lid is an important structural detail. Lidded jars from this period were relatively rare and often produced for early trade.

It is often difficult to distinguish historic pottery made at San Ildefonso from that made at Tesuque Pueblo.  Both pueblos traditionally produced Black-on-red pottery like this jar and it has always been similar. Sometimes, the distinguishing factor is the natural tan underbody of the jar. Neither pueblo applied a slip to the underbody, but only stone polished it.  The underbody is sometimes bumpy on Tesuque wares and smoother on San Ildefonso wares, however, that may not always be a determining factor.

Tesuque Pueblo black-on-red pottery is fashioned in the same manner as polychrome pottery. Clay, temper, paste, and construction do not differ. The difference arises when a red slip is wiped on the vessel in lieu of a cream slip.

The underside of this vessel is concave, indicating a date earlier than the tourist era — perhaps 1890s on this jar. The upper two-thirds of the jar was slipped with a creamy red slip, most likely a deeper red clay mixed with a cream slip. There is a dark fire cloud on the concave underbody but none on the visible vessel. Fire clouds — caused by contact with hot burning fuel during outdoor wood/dung firing — are authentic markers of traditional Pueblo pottery techniques.

What pleases us today is what pleased the maker a hundred years ago. Planning what design she was going to place on a vessel was crucial to the outcome. There are hundreds of designs that could be used, but the artist settled in her mind the one she felt would be best. She would use it once, and never again, as the next vessel would receive its own design. Unlike today's mass produced items, historic pueblo pottery is unique. There are no two alike.

The painting exhibits a compelling mix of classic Tewa motifs and cross-pueblo influences that were active along the Rio Grande in the late 19th century. There is even a touch of Cochiti designs. On the inner rim, there is a continuous black scalloped or wavy line — a design element frequently borrowed from or influenced by Cochiti Pueblo brushwork. The isolated six- or eight-pointed starbursts floating in the open red field are classic motifs that cross over heavily between Cochiti and Tesuque painted wares during this transitional era.

The primary body panels feature bold, stylized diagonal or triangular blocks flanked by curving, claw- or feather-like sprigs. These originate from stylized Tewa bird forms (such as eagle feathers or rain-bird abstractions). The neck exhibits a repeating band of dark, alternating terraced or triangular cloud/step motifs framed by double horizontal boundary lines.

The jar is a beautiful array of intriguing designs and its smaller-than-normal size is appealing

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Tesuque Pueblo Historic Black-on-red Pottery Jar is from the collection of a former Santa Fe resident

Recommended Reading: Historic Pottery of the Pueblo Indians 1600-1880 by Francis H. Harlow and Larry Frank

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Historic Pottery, Tesuque Pueblo