Polychrome Rectangular Box with Lid by Belen Tapia [SOLD]

Lidded boxes such as this one might have been used in ceremonial functions at Tewa and other pueblos, but there is no information published as to the manner in which they were used. Such boxes also were made for sale to non-Native persons, mostly at the request of anthropologists, who were seeking them for museum collections.  Individuals also liked to collect them for use as small storage boxes.

This box has all the characteristics of having been made by Belen Tapia. There are indications that a potter’s name was on the base but it has worn off.  No one else at Santa Clara was consistently using these colors derived from natural materials. Belen’s career was spent almost entirely decorating with polychrome colors.

Condition: Both box and lid are in excellent structural condition. Some of the paint has rubbed off, but only in minor amounts. There is no damage to the vessel itself.

Recommended Reading: Pueblo Indian Pottery – 750 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf

Provenance: from the collection of a resident of California