Acoma Pueblo Four-color Polychrome Olla, circa 1890s [SOLD]

Special Value Offer: The consignor has agreed to a 25% price reduction from the original price of $12,500 to a new price of $9375.

This Acoma four-color polychrome jar has a design that spans the entire upper body of the vessel.  There is no separate neckband design.  The designs on this jar appear at first glance to be unrelated motifs but closer examination reveals a pleasing mixture of designs that fit the contours of the jar perfectly.

There are sections of black-on-white elements incorporating filled-in black designs and filled in fine-line designs.  The starkness of black on white is broken by infrequent elements of dark orange and dark red designs, mostly geometric in nature.

On the upper end of the design and again on the lower portion, there are arches filled with black fine lines with the midpoint having a pair of black bumps and the outer edge of the arch being capped with black semicircles that could represent clouds over falling rain.  Other elements include black triangles with an eye near the apex that usually is interpreted as a bird design.  The long curved arcs containing fine lines could be referencing wind storm patterns.

The whole design of the jar seems to represent elements of nature—natural elements of weather and birds.  The jar appears to show evidence of having been used as a water jar but fortunately there is no damage or wear to the surface. The jar sits at a slight tilt at the rim.

Condition: very good condition for a jar of this age

Provenance:  the mother of the consignor collected this jar at Isleta Pueblo from a relative of a Laguna family in lieu of payment on an insurance policy for which the mother paid a year's payment for the Isleta family and accepted this jar in return.

Recommended Reading: The Pottery of Acoma Pueblo by Harlow and Lanmon