Cody, Wyoming Collection Zia Large Storage Jar [SOLD]

This is a truly breathtaking, if understated, storage jar. This fantastic work of art most probably dates to the first decades of the twentieth century (circa 1910-1930), as evidenced by the overall form: the high shoulder, typical of pieces created post 1900, the use of a red polished slip over the entirety of the base, as well as the absence of the traditional red banding at the top of the underbody, which fell into disuse around that time.

The piece is constructed of the typical Zia basaltic black lava as paste-temper with the traditional polished red neck interior and a black rim top, though there is no ceremonial break in the single, wide framing line. The base is flat.

The design elements are faithful to the traditionally conservative Zia design system, which itself is relatively unchanged by the influence of Western ideas. The design of this jar is even more conservative than the norm, as it is limited to a 4- 1/4-inch-wide band encircling the jar just below the rim and above the shoulder. This leaves the majority of the jar as a red-slipped, stone-polished, fire-clouded work of art.

This is a truly masterful jar, with a depth and nuance to the design concept, a sense of space and simplicity suggestive of the golden age of Zia pottery circa 1870-80. It carries a fine patina acquired through years of use, with a magnificent glossy sheen.