Adobe Gallery Blog

Mary Histia deserves to be classed as a Modernist. Her art is old, yet alive and dynamic, an expression of a continuing vigor. She did not confine her art to a mere repetition of her previous work, nor did she resort to meaningless geometric designs, but she continually experimented and added to her repertoire. Her designs are at once classic and modern.

Her vessel shapes, too, are not always following the mainstream. This jar is an exaggerated form of a standard olla shape. The low shoulder and long graceful neck provided her with a large canvas for placing a design. This jar was made late in the career of the artist, about a dozen years before she passed away, yet the workmanship is that of a talented artist.

The execution of the painted design is exquisite, as only Mary Histia capably produced. Each design element is precise and was painted with a sure hand. If one were to examine the design carefully it then becomes obvious that all the designs are bird related. There are pointed black beaks with white "eyes" and black tipped feathers. The layout, when viewed directly looking at the black diamond, gives the illusion of a whirling object with the four components comprising bird designs.

The jar is signed on the underside Made by Mary A. Histia, Acoma Sky City, New Mexico. It is not known how early Histia began signing pottery; perhaps it was as early as the 1930s or a little later.

Condition: very good condition
Provenance: from the collection of a California resident whose husband purchased it from the artist in the 1960s at Acoma Pueblo.
Recommended Reading: Acoma and Laguna Pottery by Rick Dillingham

Title: Acoma Pueblo Black-on-white Jar by Mary Histia
Artist / Potter: Mary Histia (1881-1973)
Category: Contemporary
Origin: Acoma Pueblo
Medium: clay, pigment
Size: 8-1/2" tall x 7-1/4" diameter
Item # C3344