Tesuque Pueblo Polychrome Historic Bowl [SOLD]

This Black-on-cream Tesuque Pueblo bowl is typically devoid of any red slip in its decoration, but it qualifies as a Polychrome vessel because of the red band applied underneath the decorated area.  The paste has crystalline grains in true Tesuque fashion, which accounts for the ripples on the polished bare-paste underbody.

The interior of the bowl consists of stone-polished Tesuque tan-colored clay devoid of any decoration.  Black guaco was applied over the cream slip for the design which features cloud-like elements enclosing circles pendant from the lower of a pair of framing lines just below the rim.  The main body features floating designs that are butterfly-like elements and stars.  Remnants of a red rim remain.

There are two pairs of framing lines—one pair just below the rim and the other just below the body designs.  In typical Tesuque fashion, framing lines do not feature ceremonial breaks—a trait Tesuque stayed with when other pueblos used ceremonial breaks in the decoration.  In this bowl, however, the uppermost framing line does have a ceremonial line break, but the other three do not.

Condition:  The bowl had cracks that have been professionally restored as a means of preserving the bowl for posterity.  A bowl dating to the late 1800s deserves to be preserved for future generations to enjoy.  There is a wear pattern at the rim consistent with ladle use.  The bowl has been restored to its original beauty.

Provenance: From a local resident near Santa Fe