Zia Pueblo Olla with Birds, Flowers and Wavy Band [SOLD]

As collectors of historic Southwest Indian Pottery are well aware, dating pottery is not an exact science.  If one can date within a decade or two, that is considered acceptable.  One manner in which dating can be accomplished is by comparisons with collections in museums that have collection data.  The Stevensons collected several hundred Zia Pueblo specimens between 1881 and 1887 which now reside in the Smithsonian Institution.  The American Museum of Natural History in New York City has collections from Zia made by Winship, Pepper and Spinden between 1889 and 1911.  The Minneapolis Institute of Arts has several examples of Zia pottery that date before 1917.  The Denver Art Museum has some that were acquired as late as the 1930s.  There are numerous photographs of potters with examples of their wares.  From these and other sources, dating of pottery becomes a little more refined.

This jar has split black triangles, black outlined orange rectangles, black edged zigzag band around the mid body, flowers with solid black leaves, and Zia birds.  It has a black rim and a wide red band under the decorated panel.  Put all these together and one can say that the jar most likely falls in the circa 1910-1920 era.

Condition: structurally in very good condition.  Rim wear patterns attest to prior use as a water jar

Recommended Reading: The Pottery of Zia Pueblo by Harlow and Lanmon

Provenance: from a family collection in Albuquerque