Kewa Pueblo Chile Bowl with Sunburst Design [SOLD]

Chile bowls have their start in life as any other pottery bowl—that is they have a clay bottom formed in a puki and side walls that grow upward one coil at a time.  Their walls are scraped and sanded and eventually painted with a design of the choice of the potter or a design fostered by tradition.  The best view of a bowl is from the side at a slight angle so one can appreciate the decorated exterior and have a glimpse of the interior below the rim.  The interior of a utilitarian bowl is not decorated but the patina developed over years or decades of use is worth viewing.

This bowl has a most unusual decoration for Kewa Pueblo.  It appears to be a sunburst design but perhaps it has some other meaning.

Condition: good condition

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