Cochiti Pueblo Chile Bowl [SOLD]

If you were ever invited to share a meal at a pueblo home, you would have seen vegetables or red chile or green chile stew served in a bowl similar to this.  Six-inch bowls grace the table at all pueblo meals.  This historic bowl, however, shows no evidence of use so you could be the first to put it to use on your table.

The bowl has a beautiful shape.  In curves inward and then flares outward at the rim.  Just this small change in convexity adds to the charm of the bowl.  The rim is painted black and exhibits a ceremonial line break which extends downward breaking the continuity of the design chain.

The design is typically a rain cloud presentation seen on many Cochiti vessels.  Cochiti is one of the pueblos which has no restriction on using water symbols on secular pottery.  Their neighbor, Santo Domingo, strictly forbids use of such on its pottery.  It is estimated that the bowl dates to the end of the historic period, circa 1940s, or early in the contemporary period, post 1940s.

Condition: there is a slight slip crack at the ceremonial line break but it is just the cream slip, not into the bowl structure.

Recommended Reading: A River Apart: The Pottery of Cochiti & Santo Domingo Pueblos by Valerie Verzuh, et al

Provenance: from the extensive collection of a Santa Fe resident who is unfortunately moving to another city and found it necessary to greatly reduce her collection.