Zuni Olla with Heartline Deer with Heads Facing Rear [SOLD]

Heart-line deer first appeared on Kiapkwa Polychrome pottery in the 1840s but became more frequently seen in Zuni Polychrome jars of the 1880s and later.  Often the animals represent elk or antelope. The animals are enclosed in houses with feather motifs decorating the exterior of the house.  Most often, there is a red line extending from the mouth of the animal into the interior, a line referred to as the “breath of life” of the animal.  The feet of the animal have one hoof above the other and often have a white area on the rump.

The animals on this jar follow the expected style seen on most Zuni Polychrome jars with the exception of the following: most animals face to the right but these face to the left and most animals face forward but these face to the rear.  Is there any reason for these two changes?  Probably it was only the desire of the potter to do something different from others being painted. 

There is a puki ring on the lower portion of this jar.  The black color on the interior of the neck is not stone polished.  The neck design is an early style of the arrowhead design seen a little later.  This jar probably dates to the 1880s. 

Condition: very good condition for the age of the jar

Reference and Recommended Reading: The Pottery of Zuni Pueblo by Harlow and Lanmon.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery

Provenance: from a family in Santa Fe