Laguna Pueblo Historic Four Color Polychrome Pottery Jar with Floral Designs [SOLD]

This historic pottery jar has attributes that make it easily attributable to a potter from Laguna Pueblo, most likely from a very early period of the twentieth century, perhaps circa 1920s.  The large expanse of offwhite background slip, the large and bold floral elements, and, especially, the berries on stems all are attributes of early Laguna Pueblo pottery.

It is well recognized that it is difficult to determine if a particular jar was made at Laguna Pueblo in the early twentieth century because they have a similarity to those made at Acoma Pueblo.  It is easier to attribute a jar to having been made at Acoma, thereby eliminating the justification for having stated it was made at Laguna. If Rick Dillingham was correct in his analysis of pottery from Acoma and Laguna Pueblos, then we have some design facts to use as justification for selecting Laguna as the origin of this jar.

Rick Dillingham quoted a contemporary Laguna potter who said  “Laguna designs are less busy” than those of Acoma potters. She indicated that Acoma potters like to fill in all open spaces with designs.  Dillingham 1992: 112

This jar has several features that lend to an attribution of Laguna Pueblo.  The large and bold floral designs are more typical of Laguna than Acoma, particularly when they are spread out over the surface of the jar, leaving a significant amount of undecorated background showing.   The flowers at the end of a stem that have berries attached is another trait that can be linked to Laguna, in this way: potters who migrated from Laguna to Isleta Pueblo a couple hundred years ago took with them techniques and designs from Laguna and continued using those designs on what is now considered Isleta pottery, although its style originated at Laguna.  One of those features is flower stems with berries, easily seen on many Isleta bowls today. This jar clearly illustrates that design. Split leaves, as on this jar, are another Laguna feature. The vessel walls are thin but not as thin as most Acoma jars.

It is for those reasons that we are attributing this jar to a potter from Laguna Pueblo.  As is typical of historic wares, it is not signed with the name of a potter or the name of a pueblo.

The jar has a fluted rim that was painted with dark brown pigment on the exterior.  The interior of the rim was painted with red slip, as was the underbody of the jar below the design panel.  The base is concave in traditional water jar style. There is a slight tilt to the jar.

Condition: this Laguna Pueblo Historic Four Color Polychrome Pottery Jar with Floral Designs is in very good condition

Provenance: from the estate of a former client of Adobe Gallery who just recently passed away.

Recommended Reading: Acoma and Laguna Pottery by Rick Dillingham

Relative Links: Laguna Pueblo,  Native American Pottery, Acoma Pueblo