Hawikuh Glaze-Polychrome Bowl, circa 1630-1680 AD [SOLD]

Special Offer: We have authorization to reduce this Hawikuh bowl from the original price to a new price of only $3500.

The anthropologist’s distinction between “prehistoric” and “historic” periods is dependent on one thing: written language. If ever there was a silent witness to the end of the prehistoric era and the beginning of historic times, it is this Hawikuh bowl. Written language was brought to the Southwest by the Spanish conquistadors. During his fruitless search for the Seven Cities of Cibola, Coronado “discovered” the thriving Zuni Pueblo of Hawikuh in 1540, making it the official beginning of the historic era. Hawikuh and the other Zuni villages were conquered by the Spanish and became colonial outposts. It is during this turbulent time from Spanish conquest until the killing of the priests and expulsion of the Spanish in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 that this vessel was made.

This bowl has the typical Hawikuh gamma shape with the beautiful, delicate clay bead around the rim. The designs are outlined with glaze paint, a mineral paint that forms glass when fired, which tends to puddle and run, characteristics evident on this vessel. Unlike European pots, Zuni glaze ware used glaze as a design element and not as a means of waterproofing a vessel.

The design band on the shoulder consists of various bird and geometric motifs. Note the stylized wing, pointing to the left and the stylized birds in the panel on the right, separated by a diagonal “mirror line” of symmetry. Just inside the rim there are dragonflies, one in red and the other in black glaze. There are also intentional line breaks in the upper and lower framing lines.

Ninety-five percent of the shards were discovered during excavation. The bowl has been glued and contains less than 5% plaster to fill in shards that were not found during excavation (pre-restoration photos are available). The bowl was found on private land and a legal release will accompany the purchase of this spectacular, rare ceramic.