A Study of an Acoma Pueblo Historic Polychrome Pottery Bowl

Unveiling the Aesthetic and Historical Charm of Acoma Pueblo Pottery

This historic Acoma Pueblo pottery bowl, likely dating back to the late 1800s or early 1900s, is a rare example that showcases an appealing design pattern and a well-crafted vessel form. Bowls of this size from Acoma and Laguna are seldom found in the market, making this piece a unique offering.

The exterior designs of the bowl hint at an earlier date. Unlike later examples that often feature hatching and cross-hatching lines, connected symmetrical forms, volutes, and swirls, this bowl presents a more elemental composition. This pattern, repeating six times around the exterior, primarily in black with additional touches of orange, is simple yet strong, relying on bold color and rhythmic repetition rather than intricacy.

The interior of the bowl displays inventive and beautiful design work. A dark orange slip covers the lower three quarters of the interior, separated from the white band circling the area below the rim by a black framing line. Within this band, two pairs of birds appear - one pair is black with orange spots, and the other is orange with black spots. This unusual composition is one of the bowl's most appealing attributes, adding to its charm and historical value.

A light wear pattern appears on the exterior and interior. It, too, is atypical, at least in comparison with wear patterns that appear on well-used dough and serving bowls. Dwight P. Lanmon and Francis H. Harlow's "The Pottery of Acoma Pueblo" offers an interesting suggestion: "The bowls rarely show a great amount of wear inside, suggesting they were not food bowls. Many of them—perhaps all—may have been used by medicine men." [205]

It's important to highlight that the authors' descriptions were not specifically about a piece identical to this one. Instead, their focus was on a collection of petite bowls, characterized solely by their interior adornments. The implications they made concerning the intended use of these bowls could pique one's curiosity.

Upon examining the wear patterns on numerous food bowls, we've observed that this particular bowl exhibits a significant deviation. However, despite our extensive study, we find ourselves at a crossroads when it comes to conjecturing about this bowl's past.

While we may not be able to shed light on its history, we can unequivocally appreciate its aesthetic appeal and singularity. This bowl stands as a testament to its unique beauty and rarity, commanding admiration and respect.

Condition: wear from handling, worn pigments in interior. Blacklight examination reveals a section of the rim that was broken out and put back in place without addition of plaster, as well as a small area of overpaint at the interior rim. Neither repair is visible to the naked eye.

Provenance: A Study of a Historic Polychrome Pottery Bowl is from the collection of a client of the gallery.

Reference and Recommended Reading: The Pottery of Acoma Pueblo by Dwight P. Lanmon and Francis H. Harlow, 2013. Museum of New Mexico Press, Santa Fe

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Acoma Pueblo, Historic Pottery