Paquimé Pueblo Casas Grandes Chihuahua Mexico Jar [SOLD]

This jar is designated as Ramos Polychrome pottery. It originated in the area of the Southwest in Mexico, in the state of Chihuahua. This pre-Hispanic pottery from the Chihuahua culture of present-day Mexico is named for the prehistoric site of Paquimé where it was discovered.

Paquimé pottery is related to the family of pueblo pottery, showing influence from Arizona, New Mexico, and central Mexico, along with elements which are distinctive to the area. Paquimé pottery was traded throughout North America. It was the discovery of this site that resulted in the production of today's pottery known as Casas Grandes pottery which has been made famous by contemporary potter Juan Quesada.

Pre-Hispanic pottery from the Chihuahua culture of present-day Mexico varies in slight but distinct ways to an extent that archaeologists have separated them into groups of which the three most important ones are Ramos Polychrome, Villa Ahumada Polychrome, and Babícona Polychrome. Ramos Polychrome is the most recognizable with its red designs outlined in black or dark brown pigment, as in this jar.

Ramos Polychrome is from the Paquimé Pueblo in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, which existed from 1200 to 1450. The vessel shapes of jars are generally globular with rounded bottoms. During this period, the pueblo grew in population and underwent an explosive building expansion in multi-storied pueblo houses, water and sewage systems and ball courts. More importantly for us, pottery went from a utilitarian object to an art form.

This Ramos Polychrome jar is an extraordinarily beautiful example of the pottery of the period. It is a thin-walled vessel with a rounded bottom and rolled out rim. The black and red design on cream slip is typical of the period.

Condition: very good condition with some abrasions to the pigments

Provenance: this Paquimé Pueblo Casas Grandes Chihuahua Mexico Jar is from the estate of a resident of Santa Fe

Recommended Reading:

- The Desert Southwest: Four Thousand Years of Life and Art by Allan and Carol Hayes

- SECRETS OF CASAS GRANDES Pre-Columbian Art and Archaeology of Northern Mexico; edited by Melissa S. Powell

TAG: Southwest Indian Pottery