Zia Pueblo Square Polychrome Pottery Tile [SOLD]

Harviana Toribio's Unmarked Master Work: The 1940 Rain Cloud Tile

We attribute this tile, made around 1940, to Harviana [Pino] Toribio (1904-1949). This attribution is based on a published tile with a similar design. Harviana created both monumental pottery and smaller items appealing to tourists and collectors throughout her life. However, the tile does not bear her signature.

Starting in the 1920s, some potters began signing their wares with the name of their pueblo, and often their own names. This practice, however, did not become widespread among Pueblo potters until the 1950s. The trend likely stemmed from the success of Maria Martinez of San Ildefonso Pueblo. In the early 1920s, Santa Fe anthropologists encouraged her to sign her pottery vessels on the bottom or sometimes even on the sides, making the writing a visible addition to the overall design style. Despite urging from the organizers of the 1927 Southwest Indian Fair in Santa Fe, most potters resisted signing their wares [Harlow & Lanmon,2003:28].

The square tile features a mirrored design of a rain cloud and significant rainfall. Each image is framed by a red slip outline, contrasting with the cream slip of the rain design. The eight domed brown elements on the stepped sections are interpreted as feather symbols. The group of three oval brown elements hanging from the tip of the triangles represent rain clouds. The fine lines are interpreted as rain. The very small brown lines below the cloud triad could possibly represent crops sprouting from the rain.

Condition: very good condition with a dark patina.

Provenance: this Zia Pueblo Square Polychrome Pottery Tile is from the collection of a former client of Adobe Gallery

Reference and Recommended Reading: The Pottery of Zia Pueblo by Francis H. Harlow & Dwight P. Lanmon, SAR Press, Santa Fe, 2003.

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, Zia Pueblo, Historic Pottery