Zuni Pueblo Vintage Owl Pottery Figurine with Pouch [SOLD]

We believe this to be the oldest Zuni Pueblo owl pottery figurine Adobe Gallery has had the pleasure to post to our website.  It is large, monochromatic, has a pouch in front, and is in good condition for its age, estimated to be slightly over a hundred years.  It is typical of the style made in the early twentieth century, except I do not recall seeing a pouch on one before.

Free-standing pueblo pottery figurines are rarely, if ever, made of solid clay, but are hollow.  Unique clay in solid figures would not dry sufficiently and would crack during firing.  Figurines are made with coils of clay in the same manner as vessels.  A hole to allow for escaping gases during firing is necessary, and that is usually at the mouth, as in this example.

It is not known why owl pottery figurines have been made at Zuni Pueblo, but they are known to have existed as early as around 1875 and their production does not seem to have been interrupted since.  There are many varieties of free-standing pottery figurines, but owls seem to be the predominant style made at Zuni Pueblo.  There is no obvious functional use for the figurines, so they perhaps were made solely to be sold or gifted.

Condition: this vintage pottery owl figurine is in exceptionally good condition.  There are a few spall marks and some paint abrasions, but there are no breaks or repairs.  A few dabs of house paint were dropped on one ear.

Provenance: this Zuni Pueblo Vintage Owl Pottery Figurine with Pouch is from the collection of a family from Georgia

Recommended Reading: The Pottery of Zuni Pueblo by Lanmon and Harlow

Relative Links: Southwest Indian Pottery, Zuni Pueblo, Pottery Figurines