Acoma Pueblo Polychrome Jar with Unusual Birds [SOLD]

One often asks why a potter would spend so much time designing and painting a jar that was intended for use as a water jar.  The answer is that pueblo potters have an intrinsic awareness of beauty and wish to enjoy the simple water jar as a work of art as well.  It may not improve the functionality of the vessel but it enriches the lives of all who see it.

Another question often asked is what is the meaning of the designs?  If the designs have any meaning, then it may be simply a meaning to the potter and not grasped by a person from another culture.  It may be a harmony between a painted design and the three-dimensional surface on which it is painted.  Many potters say that they determine a design based on the shape of a vessel.  They immediately visualize the design they wish to use after the vessel is finished.

Acoma potters generally present a design in one of two different manners.  One is to use the entire vessel as a single canvas with no distinction between the rim, shoulder and body of the vessel, that is, the design expands over the shoulder and to the rim without divination.  The other manner is to draw a framing line at the shoulder and then treat the neck design and body design as separate entities.

This jar has a design covering the entire surface with no division at the shoulder.  There are basically two design styles to this jar.  All of the elements in brown constitute the design in geometric terms—triangles, scrolls, rectangles, circles and lines.  The other design features birds presented in orange slip, outlined in brown.  Most often, Acoma birds used on pottery are parrots, but this potter chose a beaked bird with a fancy top knot on its head and wings that are separated completely from the body.  If one searched thoroughly it might be possible to find documented examples of a bird of this style but I have not before seen one with the wings completely separated from the body. 

The jar is beautiful both in its vessel's shape and design layout.  The design chosen by the potter is perfect for the shape of the jar.  The immense amount of brown design provides a beautiful frame for the orange birds.  The geometric design is strong and the birds are delicate—a good balance. 

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: from a family from Florida

Recommended Reading:  Acoma & Laguna Pottery by Rick Dillingham