Polychrome Isleta Basket Bowl with Handle [SOLD]

Once the group of Laguna Pueblo families, who had split from their native village, settled at Isleta Pueblo in a village that they named Oraibi in 1879, they began to produce a large quantity of tourist pieces of pottery, sized down in scale to make it easy for the travelers to carry in their luggage. The train between Chicago and California had arrived in Albuquerque that same year. The potters would arrive at the Alvarado Hotel and train station with large baskets full of pottery and set up store outside and sell to tourists all day.

Things popular with tourists were small bowls, sugar and creamer sets, salt and pepper sets, ashtrays, candlesticks and vases. This small bowl with twisted handles must have been a very popular item as there seems to have been more of them made than any other single item.

This is obviously one of the earlier pieces of Isleta pottery judging by the patina and abrasions but it is still very charming and very collectible.