Historic Cochiti Pueblo Pottery Jar c. 1880s-1900

This Cochiti Pueblo historic jar, dating from the 1880s to 1900, is a magnificent example of Cochiti Pueblo pottery. Created by a once-known Native American potter, this vessel makes a bold and commanding statement with its beautifully balanced form. It features a high shoulder and a neck slightly larger in width to the base, creating a graceful profile that flows seamlessly from the base to the delicately curled rim.

The jar is painted with black pigment on a white slip, with a painted black rim with spirit line and red slip on both the inner neck and base. Its simple yet striking design motif, possibly depicting a deer print and a squash blossom, utilizes the white slip as negative space to achieve a refined linear effect.

A nearly identical jar with a very closely related design appears in A River Apart - The Pottery of Cochiti and Santo Domingo Pueblos on page XIX of the Introduction, part of the Museum of New Mexico Collection. This striking similarity suggests that both pieces were crafted by the same potter during the 1880s-1900, a time when pottery production at Cochiti Pueblo was undergoing significant transformation. As noted in the book, the arrival of the railroad and later automobile travel spurred a thriving tourist market, prompting potters to rethink traditional forms and develop new styles suited for trade. This jar is remarkable from that pivotal era, embodying both tradition and adaptation in its design.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: This Historic Cochiti Pueblo Pottery Jar c. 1880s-1900is from a collector in Arizona

Recommended Reading: A River Apart: The Pottery of Cochiti & Santo Domingo Pueblos by Valerie K. Verzuh

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Cochiti Pueblo, Historic Pottery