Cody, Wyoming, Collection Zia Olla with Flowers [SOLD]

Occasionally one sees a piece of pottery which just stands out as very special! This is the case with this Zia Pueblo water jar. It is traditional in every sense of the word in material, shape and decorations, but is more unusual and more striking than most in the design pattern chosen by the artisan.

If one selects just a single design panel, one can see that the artisan most probably started with layering the cactus flower on the white slip, then outlining it with a brown triangle in which she then filled in the corners with brown paint, leaving a bird’s eye visible. The triangle was then outlined in a stepped element painted orange that was fully outlined in brown. Brown feather tips were added to each step.

This element is repeated on two sides in an upright position, and alternated on two sides by the same design, but in an inverted position. There are no birds, no berries, and no rainbows, just an elegant simple design of major visual impact.