Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico
Circa 1900
Pottery, mineral pigments
Height 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm); diameter 11 in. (27.9 cm)
Provenance: Wisconsin trade; private collection, New Hampshire
The tableta is a ceremonial headdress worn by dancers in Pueblo rain ceremonies, its stepped and towering form representing rain clouds and sky elements essential to agricultural life. Its appearance as a painted motif on Acoma pottery connects the vessel to the ceremonial cycle of the community and to the broader Pueblo concern with water and crop fertility. This olla combines tableta figures with bird imagery and bold geometric elements in a composition of considerable visual complexity.
The vessel form is a broad-shouldered olla with thin walls, a characteristic of Acoma pottery that reflects the skill of hand-coiling and controlled firing practiced by Acoma potters. Decoration is executed in black and red-orange on a white slip ground, with the tableta and bird figures rendered in confident, detailed brushwork across the body. The piece comes from a private New Hampshire collection where it was held for several decades.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico
Circa 1900
Pottery, mineral pigments
Height 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm); diameter 11 in. (27.9 cm)
Provenance: Wisconsin trade; private collection, New Hampshire
The tableta is a ceremonial headdress worn by dancers in Pueblo rain ceremonies, its stepped and towering form representing rain clouds and sky elements essential to agricultural life. Its appearance as a painted motif on Acoma pottery connects the vessel to the ceremonial cycle of the community and to the broader Pueblo concern with water and crop fertility. This olla combines tableta figures with bird imagery and bold geometric elements in a composition of considerable visual complexity.
The vessel form is a broad-shouldered olla with thin walls, a characteristic of Acoma pottery that reflects the skill of hand-coiling and controlled firing practiced by Acoma potters. Decoration is executed in black and red-orange on a white slip ground, with the tableta and bird figures rendered in confident, detailed brushwork across the body. The piece comes from a private New Hampshire collection where it was held for several decades.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
