Historic Tesuque Pueblo Polychrome Jar with Maltese Crosses [SOLD]

This is a traditional Tesuque water jar or olla. True to tradition, the jar was constructed of native clay, slipped with a rag-wiped bentonite slip and decorated with designs typical of the 1890-1910 period.

Tesuque potters, because of their conservative nature, did not stray into the more commercial pottery that their neighboring pueblos fell into; rather, they kept to the traditional shapes and designs used by their predecessors. The red rim and red band near the underbody qualify this jar as a Tesuque Polychrome vessel.

The Maltese Cross used in the design element is an enigma. What plausible connection would a pueblo potter have with a Maltese cross? A similar symbol exists on a Mesa Verde Prehistoric bowl.

The Maltese cross is an ancient symbol associated with the sun. Evidence seems to indicate that the solar cross symbol was originally inspired by cross-like form of the sun’s corona that may be seen during some total solar eclipses. Perhaps this is an explanation!

Provenance: From the collection of Alexander E. Anthony, Jr. who purchased it from Mary Mira of Kansas City in 2003. She, in turn, had purchased it in 1973 from Navajo Medicine, a now-closed Native American shop in Kansas City. This is the first time it has been offered on the open market in over 30 years. This Historic Tesuque Pueblo Polychrome Jar was part of the exhibit Art Treasures of New Mexico show July 23, 2005 until August 20, 2005 presented at Adobe Gallery Santa Fe.