Historic Acoma Pueblo Pottery Water Jar with Polychrome Bird Designs [SOLD]

This historic Acoma Pueblo pottery jar dates to circa 1920s-1930s and was beautifully designed with obvious birds and clouds—suggesting a “rain bird” design, a design suitable for a water jar.  The potter put a wide band around the shoulder and filled it with a continuing series of black triangles within white triangles. Each black triangle has a bird’s eye. Most of the design was executed in black pigment, but the tail feathers of the birds have highlights of orange.

The 1920s-1930s was a period when potters at Acoma and Laguna Pueblos gathered daily at the train stop at Laguna to sell their wares to the tourists passing through on the Chicago to Los Angeles and return trip. There was a train stop at Laguna Pueblo and it was a venue for cash for the potters. There were also train stops at three Acoma villages as early as 1928 and additional venues for potters to sell their wares.  It was about that time that potters started adding Acoma, N.M or Laguna N.M. fired on to the underside of pottery. It was later that personal names were added. [Dillingham 1992:164]

The jar was constructed of traditional Acoma clay with ground up potsherds as temper.  The jar rings like fine crystal.

Thanks to Dr. Edward Lee Hewitt, director of the Museum of New Mexico and the School of American Research, the first event with the intent to reward artists and encourage them to improve their wares was held in 1922.  It was the Southwest Indian Fair and the predecessor to the annual Santa Fe Indian Market. The Gallup (N.M.) Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial was also inaugurated in 1922 primarily with emphasis on the Navajo culture. Still another venue was started to reward artists with prizes for the finest art.  That was the New Mexico State Fair in 1938. All these events did have a tremendous effect on Native artists striving to make the best work. It is because of these venues that pueblo pottery production is of the highest quality today.

This is a classic Acoma jar with a beautiful design of birds, clouds and rain.  

Condition: this Historic Acoma Pueblo Pottery Water Jar with Polychrome Bird Designs is in very good condition for its age.

Provenance: from the collection of a family from Georgia

Recommended Reading: Acoma & Laguna Pottery by Rick Dillingham

Relative Links: Southwest Indian Pottery, Acoma Pueblo, Historic Pottery, Laguna Pueblo