Polychrome Jar with Black-on-white Fine Line Design [SOLD]

Those who knew Lucy Lewis, or at least are familiar with her pottery, will recognize this Black-on-white designed jar with the fine line pattern as one of her personal favorite designs and a favorite of many collectors.

This jar is signed Lucy M. Lewis Acoma. There was an earlier time when Lucy did not sign her pots, identifying them only by their place of origin: “Acoma, N. M.” or “Sky City, N. M.” At that time, Lucy sold her pots from a roadside stand on Route 66 for as little as a dollar or two. Today, they command thousands of dollars.

Lucy continued throughout her life to make pots in the traditional way; digging and preparing clay, grinding potshards for temper; coiling the clay into a vessel shape, making her paints from plant and mineral elements, and firing the finished vessels in an open outdoor hand made kiln.

This jar conforms to all traditions of Acoma pottery. The fine-line design is traditional to the pueblo, as is the bottom slipped in orange. There are sufficient fire clouds on the orange underbody to attest to an outdoor traditional firing technique.

The jar is in excellent condition. There is no spalling of the clay body, which is an indication that the jar was probably made in the 1960s time period when the Acoma clay beds were more pure than later when there was evidence of calcium.

Item Provenance:
This item was presented in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center's special exhibit “TIMELESS BEAUTY” in Albuquerque, New Mexico, January-August 2008. This exhibition celebrated the achievements and impact made by some of the most renowned Pueblo women artists on the preservation, exposure, and development of the indigenous and contemporary art forms of Pueblo people. Curated by the IPCC in collaboration with Santa Fe-based Adobe Gallery and the School for Advanced Research, “TIMELESS BEAUTY” showcased a collaborative collection of artwork created by these influential women.