Tesuque Pitcher [SOLD]

Occasionally we encounter pottery which is not traditional in shape to a familiar pueblo vessel, yet construction of the vessel appears in every way traditional to the pueblo. This is the case with this pitcher. Temper, paste, stone-polished slip and black paint identify the origin as Tesuque. The footed bottom, pouring spout, and handle appear to be fashioned after a china pitcher of the time period.

Santa Fe merchant Jake Gold was very influential on the ceramics at Tesuque. He advertised his specialization as pottery and therefore needed a large supply of it. Tesuque was the closest pueblo and so it was easier for him to fulfill his needs there. Selling to tourists and to Spanish-American homes in Santa Fe required vessel shapes familiar to those clients. Thus, an explanation for flower-pot shapes, pitchers, and other handled vessels, as seen in an 1880 Ben Wittick photo of Gold with a large collection of mostly Tesuque pottery.

Three pairs of double framing lines were used to outline the vessel's outer boundaries. The wavy lines used in banding and incorporated in the design are exclusively Tesuque in origin. The main body decoration consists of two floral elements and a cloud and rain element. There was no red paint used anywhere. Excellent condition.