Unusual Pottery Jar with Depressed Designs [SOLD]

The origin of this jar is interesting.  The shape of the vessel, the texture of the base and the design elements do not all seem to fit any single source of origin.  One could assume it to be from Santo Domingo Pueblo except the color of the un-slipped clay below the design is much more like that from San Ildefonso Pueblo as is the slope of that area. The cream slip appears to be rag wiped, not stone polished.  The cream slip extends an inch inside the inner rim and, below that, is a one-inch red slip further inside the rim.

On this Southwest Indian Pottery vessel, one of the serpentine designs appears to have a head and tail as if it was meant to represent a snake but the other one on the opposite side has two open ends.  Interestingly, both serpentine elements are depressed into the clay as are the two rectangular design elements.  I do not recall ever seeing designs depressed into the clay at Kewa or San Ildefonso nor have I seen designs like these.  The floral elements are Kewa style.  Maybe the potter had in mind the Garden of Eden with the snake and apple tree!

The two options I see for the origin are Kewa and San Ildefonso and I selected San Ildefonso Pueblo because of the shape of the lower 1/3^rd of the vessel.  Perhaps someone will have a better explanation and I look forward to hearing from you.

Condition: a very small rim chip has been repaired

Recommended Reading: Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700-1940 by Jonathan Batkin.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery.

Provenance: Private collection