Adobe Gallery Blog
Acoma Pueblo Polychrome Design Jar - C3819B
Pottery has always been a central feature of the pueblo people, both for ceremonial and utilitarian purposes. Everything about the daily lives of the pueblo people is of a religious nature. They do not look at jars such as this one as an "art object" as we do. To them, it is a utilitarian vessel or in some cases a ceremonial vessel. The fact that it is beautifully decorated is accepted as part of their history and their lives. Pottery is a sacred part of daily life.
Whether a jar was made for use by the potter in her home or whether it was made for sale to a tourist visiting the pueblo is of no consequence. What are important to collectors are age, condition and beauty. Also important to Acoma potters is that potsherds of prehistoric or historic or even contemporary pottery are ground up and added to the clay for making a new pot. Every Acoma pot contains some part of an older pot. This provides a continuum to the two-thousand-year history of Acoma pottery.