Ohkay Owingeh Large Bowl with Red Rim [SOLD]

The beauty of Ohkay Owingeh pottery is its simplicity.  The shape of the vessel is the dominant visual stimulation, not being overrun by painted design.  The deep red slip that overlays the tan clay is traditional to all earlier bowls and jars. When the stone-polished vessel is fired in the traditional manner, there are usually beautiful fire clouds on the vessel wall, however, this bowl does not have fire clouds.  

According to Batkin¹, pottery making at San Juan (Ohkay Owingeh) Pueblo almost died out by 1900 except for an occasional piece made for household use or for sale or trade. There was a revival in the 1930s but it was of a different style.

This bowl possibly dates to the early twentieth century but the lack of fire clouds and lack of indications of use would make one think it was made later and was made for sale, not for use at the pueblo.

The rim of the bowl flares outward and has dimples on the top interior that results in a slight undulation of the rim.  If a bowl’s rim are straight up from the vessel wall, the red slip is usually applied to the outside of the rim. If the rim flares outward, as in this one, the red slip is applied to the interior of the rim.  The interior and exterior were stone polished.

Condition: this Ohkay Owingeh Large Bowl with Red Rim is in very good condition with only minor abrasions

Provenance: from the extensive Southwest Indian Pottery collection of a family from Colorado

Reference: ¹Batkin, Jonathan. Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700 - 1940.