Acoma Pueblo Black-on-white Jar by Lucy Lewis [SOLD]

Lucy Lewis is a potter that most collectors recognize because she was at the forefront of potters following World War II when pueblo pottery began to be collected in earnest.  One of her best-known designs was this complicated fine line style where the lines crossed in every direction.  One must remember that these were painted using a brush fashioned from the leaf of a yucca plant.  That certainly added to the complexity and is the reason not too many Acoma potters ever achieved the level to paint such a design.

This jar illustrates well Lewis's fine-line technique as well as her creative artistic capability at mixing two design styles and having them work together and complement each other.  The alternating squares of fine-line designs and black and white triangles cover the entire body surface of the jar except for a small band of white slip at the base.  Take notice that the walls of the squares are truncated inward at the row near the rim, are pretty straight at the middle rows, and are truncated again on the lower row of design.  That would take almost a mathematical calculation to insure it came out correctly, but we know that the potter did all of it free-hand.  The jar is signed Lucy M. Lewis Acoma N.M. "1964" on the underside. There is also an ink notation AMI 36 which is probably a collection number.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: from the collection of a New Mexico family

Recommended Reading: Acoma and Laguna Pottery by Rick Dillingham