Adobe Gallery Blog

Cochiti Pueblo has a long history of producing figurative pottery. It reached its prime in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th century. There was a strong revival in the early 1970s with the production of storyteller figurines. Some potters at Cochiti expanded beyond the traditional storyteller figurines and made vessels of varying styles, vessels with figurines attached in bas relief, such as this wonderful pottery canteen with a lizard in relief.

A metal stand has been specially fabricated for the canteen so that it sits with the spout turned upward to prevent water from pouring out. The lizard in bas relief is perched on top of the canteen as if heading for the spout to get a drink. The stand provides for a full view of the lizard.

The canteen is not signed by an artist. From the patina, it appears to be at least a half-century old.

Condition: very good condition
Provenance: from the collection of a Santa Fe resident
Recommended Reading: A River Apart: the Pottery of Cochiti and Santo Domingo Pueblos. Edited by Valerie K. Verzuh

Subject: Cochiti Pueblo Pottery Canteen with Lizard Design
Potter Unknown
Category: Contemporary
Origin: Cochiti Pueblo
Medium: clay, pigment, metal stand
Size: 4-1/2" tall x 5-3/8" wide x 4" deep
Item # C3364A