Polychrome Zia Olla with Birds and Flowers [SOLD]

This jar, as with all Zia jars, incorporates techniques used for six centuries—specifically the use of crushed basaltic lava as temper. The use of the dark brown and orange mineral paints on the cream slip offers a visually pleasing contrast. The wide red band underneath the design area is indicative of late 19th and early 20th century pieces. This jar dates to around 1890 – 1900. It is coil formed from native clay and decorated with mineral paints. The concave base and underbody are stone polished red slip with a red band at the top of the underbody.

The design field is undivided. There is a pair of birds on opposite sides of the jar, separated by a pair of floral elements, all on a darkened cream background. The red in the birds is outlined in black but the red in the floral elements is not.

The jar is in excellent condition with a dark patina that attests to its age. Its beauty can be partially attributed to the sparseness and simplicity of the design elements so exquisitely placed on a beautifully constructed and shaped vessel. It is truly a fine artistic work of art.