Tonque Pueblo Prehistoric Pottery Glazeware Bowl [SOLD]

This piece of pottery provides an excellent look at the glaze that decorates most Tonque pottery.  The glaze was made of lead, which was abundant in the region. Exactly which of the many lead deposits was mined by the Tonque remains unknown. Whatever the source, the lead glaze is wonderful. It’s a thick, striking black, that appears almost reflective when seen under a certain light. The small bowl’s interior rim is circled—intermittently, though, with breaks that allow the clay’s natural color to show through—with a wide black line.  From this line, a number of short black lines emerge vertically, down towards the center. The exterior is decorated with two pairs of curving lines, which run from the rim towards the center.  

Tonque Pueblo was a large prehistoric pueblo located in New Mexico. Also known as Tunque, El Tunque, Tungee and Tung-ge, the pueblo is best known for having produced a great deal of excellent pottery. Like its history, the origin of these names is unclear. Some historians suggest that the name relates to baskets, as "Tung" is the Tewa word for basket. "El Pueblo de Tonque"-a name that Bandelier found in a circa 1700 document-could be translated, loosely, as "village of the basket." A 1969 El Palacio article by Helene Warren expounds this theory: "The name might refer to the topographic location of the village. On the other hand, among the Tewa Indians today stories persist of an ancient pueblo, somewhere south of Cochiti, where beautiful baskets could once be obtained in trade. Due to the perishable nature of baskets, the possibility that the Tonque craftsmen were as skilled in the art of basketry as in pottery making may have to remain speculation."

Though historical accounts are somewhat inconsistent, it is accepted that the village was initially occupied during the 1300s and abandoned before 1600.  It may have been vacated in 1525, when the Teya Apaches raided and devastated the Galisteo Basin. Tonque produced an incredible amount of glazeware pottery, and that pottery was traded widely.  It is regarded as some of the finest of the period, and it is always exciting to see legally collected Tonque pottery pieces appear on the market.

On the bottom of the bowl, the following text is written: “Tonque. 1425. 1540.  F.M.V. #45. Francis.”

Condition: The Tonque Pueblo Prehistoric Pottery Glazeware Bowl was broken and reassembled.  The repair job is exceptional.

Provenance: A large Tonque olla was excavated on the private property of the Tonque Brick Company by Richard and Kitty Renwick of the New Mexico Archaeology Club.  It was then sold to a private collector, who passed it on to its current owner. This piece comes from the same collection, and was acquired from the same archaeologists.

Recommended Reading: “Tonque: One Pueblo’s Glaze Pottery Dominated Middle Rio Grande Commerce” by Helene Warren, El Palacio Summer 1969

Relative Links: Southwest Indian Pottery, Tonque Pueblo, Prehistoric Pottery