Historic Isleta Pueblo Polychrome Small Serving Bowl

This historic pottery bowl exemplifies Isleta Polychrome pottery from 1880 to the present. During that period, Isleta potters adopted new techniques and designs to replace their traditional, designless orange wares. The poor quality of red clay at Isleta was unsuitable for producing high-quality, thin-walled pottery. Consequently, pottery from Isleta of that time is rare in museum collections, as it was not deemed worthy of inclusion. However, when viewed today, its color purity and simplicity are strikingly beautiful.

The transformation began in 1880 when a large group of Laguna Pueblo Indians moved permanently to a village near Isleta, which they named Oraibi. This relocation resulted from a dispute within Laguna. The Laguna women, skilled in making polychrome pottery, brought their techniques and designs with them. The attractive designs and colors, combined with the proper tempering techniques to achieve strong, thin walls, caught the attention of Isleta potters. Over time, the Laguna style merged with the Isleta style, and Laguna designs continue to appear on Isleta pottery today.

Isleta women sold this new style of pottery at the Albuquerque train station to tourists traveling the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe (*AT&SF) Rail Line from Chicago to California. This serving bowl, likely dating to the 1920s, represents that style. It appears to have been used before being sold, as indicated by residue stains on the lower half of its interior.

*AT&SF: The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (reporting mark ATSF), often abbreviated as Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. Chartered in February 1859, the railroad reached the Kansas-Colorado border in 1873 and Pueblo, Colorado, in 1876. To create a demand for its services, the railroad set up real estate offices and sold farmland from the land grants that it was awarded by Congress. Despite the name, its main line never served Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the terrain was too difficult; the town ultimately was reached by a branch line from Lamy.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Historic Isleta Pueblo Polychrome Small Serving Bowl is from a private collection

Recommended Reading: Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700-1940 by Jonathan Batkin

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Historic Pottery, Isleta Pueblo