Tesuque Pueblo Polychrome OLLA with Black on Cream Designs [SOLD]

This historic Black-on-cream Tesuque Pueblo OLLA is typically devoid of any red slip in its decoration, but it qualifies as a Polychrome vessel because of the red band applied underneath the decorated area and the red on the rim.  The paste has crystalline grains in true Te Tsu Geh Oweenge (Tesuque Pueblo) fashion, which accounts for the ripples on the polished bare-paste underbody.

Black guaco was applied over a cream slip for the design which features plant fertility as the theme of the design.  There also is a hook element reminiscent of Zuni Pueblo designs. The eye-like elements are most likely seed pods being exposed to the sun.  The overall theme of the design is rain, sun, and crops—not unusual for use on a water jar.

The rim is polished red slip and the underbody is polished natural clay with a red band wiped on in traditional nineteenth-century fashion.  Although red rim slip began disappearing in favor of black in the 1880s, its use did continue until the 1920s.

The cream slip is the traditional stone-polished one traditionally used at Tesuque.  It is believed that the rag-polished bentonite slip from Cochiti did not become in use at Tesuque until after 1940.  

There are two pairs of framing lines—one pair just below the neck and the other just below the body designs.  In typical Tesuque fashion, framing lines do not feature ceremonial breaks—a trait Tesuque stayed with when other pueblos used ceremonial breaks in the decoration.

This historic globular jar dates to the turn of the last century.

Condition: this Tesuque Pueblo Polychrome OLLA with Black on Cream Designs is in very good condition

Provenance: from the Southwest Indian Pottery collection of a gentleman from Albuquerque

Reference: Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700-1940 by Jonathan Batkin