Kewa (Santo Domingo) Chile Bowl with Black Triangles [SOLD]

Before 1850, the pottery of Santo Domingo and Cochiti Pueblos, two Keresan-speaking groups, was indistinguishable.  It was virtually the same and was generally referred to as Kiua Polychrome.  With the arrival of the transcontinental rail line in 1880, the similarity began to diverge.  Cochiti, more than 16 miles from the rail line, and Santo Domingo, adjacent to the rail line, began to diverge in pottery styles.  Cochiti retained its traditions and Santo Domingo began to respond to the needs of the outside world.

One thing that seemed not to change was the utilitarian wares used at Santo Domingo on a daily basis.  One item, the chile bowl, continued to be produced in its standard shape, form and size as it had in the period before the arrival of the train.

Chile bowls generally are about 3-1/2 inches deep and around 7-1/2 inches in diameter.  They vary a little but not significantly.  They are used on the daily table for serving a variety of foods—red chile, green chile stew, corn or sundry other delectables.  Chile bowls seem to be in abundance as many were made for in-house use and many ended up being sold to outsiders.

This chile bowl features a band of black triangles, touching point-to-point encircling the exterior of the bowl.  There is a pair of black framing lines at the rim and another pair at the base of the design strip.  The underbody is flat and slipped in red clay.  The rim is black and the interior is red slip.  It probably dates to the mid-20^th century and does not appear to have seen much use on a pueblo dining table.

Condition: very good condition

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

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.