Very Large Historic Pottery Dough Bowl from Zia Pueblo [SOLD]

It appears that dough bowls of large size were not made at Zia Pueblo before the late 1700s.  When they did begin to appear it was for the preparation of large quantities of bread dough, thus their name “dough bowl.”  Dough bowls featuring the design shown on this one had their beginning around 1880 and have continued in use to today. We will attempt to describe the designs and their influence on dates.

The dark brown design elements on this dough bowl, and on dough bowls as early as circa 1800, are designs that appeared on San Pablo Polychrome jars (1760-1880).  The design disappeared from jars after that period but then appeared on dough bowls and have done so continuously since its first use. Dough bowls, therefore, continued the lineage from San Pablo Polychrome to Zia Polychrome.

The stepped triangle filled with orange pigment and with a white rectangle containing an orange teardrop, above which is an orange bar, and the continuing orange band to the next stepped triangle, has been named a “cadre figure.”  Two two stepped triangles have been accepted to be bird’s heads. The white rectangles within the bird’s head is recognized as the eye of the bird. This design has continued on Zia dough bowls uninterrupted.

The beak and eye of the bird of the style shown on this bowl are believed to have started around 1880 and have continued to today.  The difference between the eye of the bird shown here and earlier eye designs have been used to estimate dates of dough bowls.

Note: The lack of a flared rim, the style of bird’s eyes, and the wiped on red band below the design panel combine to suggest a date for this bowl of 1900-1910.

Condition: this Very Large Historic Pottery Dough Bowl from Zia Pueblo is in very good condition

Provenance: from a family in New Mexico

Reference: The Pottery of Zia Pueblo by Harlow and Lanmon

Relative Links: Zia Pueblo, historic period, Francis Harlow