Group of Three Laguna Historic Pottery Vessels [SOLD]

These three Laguna Pueblo historic pottery vessels are glazed on their interior surfaces in the manner taught to Laguna potters by Miss Josephine Foard of Delaware in the early 1900s to make the vessels waterproof so that buyers could use them safely. Examples of such pottery are rare. An additional source of identification to the glazing is a paper label attached to such items. The paper label is that of The Indian Industries League, a Boston organization to provide aid to Indians to encourage production of their arts for financial returns.

Miss Foard moved from Delaware at the age of fifty-six in 1899 to live at Laguna Pueblo and teach the potters how to "improve" their pottery to make it more saleable and useful to buyers. At Laguna, she built her own home and a pottery kiln, and began instructing potters. She aimed to teach the potters how to make their vessels waterproof so that they were functional to the Eastern buyers rather than merely art objects. The intent was to increase sales of their wares for the benefit of the potters. Miss Foard acquired some federal assistance for her work and sponsorship of an Indian league in Boston.

These three Laguna Pueblo pottery vessels all have glazed interiors, one has the fired-on name Thistee which presumably is the name of the Laguna potter, and one of the vessels has remnants of the unique paper label of The Indian Industries League.

The largest of the three vessels is a tall vase with handles. It's an elegant form that was clearly executed with incredible skill. It is decorated with a lively combination of designs, which makes use of several diamond-shaped and rectangular elements to reference lightning, rain, and plants. The colors work together incredibly well.

The second piece is a gorgeous child-sized water jar. Its form mimics that of larger ollas, and it does so beautifully. Traditional Laguna and Acoma designs in black over white slip covers much of the exterior. They are stylish, intricate, and enormously appealing, resulting in a piece that makes a strong impression regardless of its modest size.

The smallest of these three Laguna pieces is a cup with a handle and a flared base. It is adorned in a pattern of interlocking diamonds, which circles the exterior. Clouds and Kiva steps reach up and hang down from the diamonds' edges. Spots of black pigment, in a pattern that's too appealing to have been accidental, decorate the interior. 

Condition: very good condition for their age

Provenance: this Group of Three Laguna Historic Pottery Vessels is from the collection of a gallery client

Reference: Josephine Foard and the Glazed Pottery of Laguna Pueblo by Dwight P. Lanmon, et.al. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 2007.

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Acoma Pueblo, Historic Pottery, Laguna Pueblo, Ka'waika