Zuni Pueblo Pottery Drum Jar with Frog Attachments [SOLD]

Special Value Offer: we have been authorized to offer this at $4500, over 50% less than the original price of $9500.

Zuni Pueblo is the only pueblo that made pottery drum jars.  Generally, they are large and slipped overall in white clay and have the most minimal decoration.  A wet skin is placed over the opening and tied around the lip of the jar.  When the skin dries, it shrinks and becomes taut and the jar can then serve as a drum.

Drum jar decorations are limited in number, usually only four items and they are spaced equidistant around the body.  Some have bears or other animals painted on the walls; however, this jar has four frogs in bas relief.  Also, drum jars were mostly made for use at the pueblo so they are not signed with the name of the artist as they were not items for sale.  None of the drum jars illustrated in Lanmon & Harlow (2008) have designs in relief form.  All of the illustrated ones have designs painted onto the surface.

Similar jars were made for dry storage of foods or other items, but they were not slipped in white clay overall and left with minimal decorations like the drum jars.  These white-slipped jars with four items of decoration are generally accepted as having been made for use as drum jars.  Some of them never saw service on the pueblo but were sold before being used.

Condition:  the jar is in excellent condition

Provenance: this Zuni Pueblo Pottery Drum Jar with Frog Attachments is from the collection of Katherine H. Rust

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