White Mountain region, Arizona/New Mexico
1150–1300 CE, St. Johns Polychrome
Ceramic, red-slipped exterior, mineral pigment
Height 5⅞ in (14.9 cm); diameter 10¾ in (27.3 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Arizona. Not recovered from Federal or State land.
St. Johns Polychrome is among the most distinctive ceramic types produced in the White Mountain region of eastern Arizona between approximately 1175 and 1300 CE, characterized by its deep terracotta red paste, black painted geometric decoration on the interior, and black exterior with red decoration — a combination that gives the ware its immediately recognizable visual character. The tradition represents a high point of Ancestral Pueblo ceramic production in the region, with the geometric vocabulary of zigzags, triangles, and hatch-filled zones organized with compositional discipline across the interior surface. This bowl carries concentric bands of bold black geometric motifs radiating inward from the rim toward an undecorated central medallion, a layout typical of the finest St. Johns Polychrome examples.
The exterior is painted black consistent with the type, and the vessel retains its original surface with honest age and wear throughout and no evidence of restoration or overpainting. At nearly eleven inches in diameter, this is a substantial example of the form, reflecting the scale associated with communal or ceremonial use rather than individual domestic function. The Arizona private collection provenance is consistent with material collected prior to the regulatory environment established by ARPA in 1979.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
White Mountain region, Arizona/New Mexico
1150–1300 CE, St. Johns Polychrome
Ceramic, red-slipped exterior, mineral pigment
Height 5⅞ in (14.9 cm); diameter 10¾ in (27.3 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Arizona. Not recovered from Federal or State land.
St. Johns Polychrome is among the most distinctive ceramic types produced in the White Mountain region of eastern Arizona between approximately 1175 and 1300 CE, characterized by its deep terracotta red paste, black painted geometric decoration on the interior, and black exterior with red decoration — a combination that gives the ware its immediately recognizable visual character. The tradition represents a high point of Ancestral Pueblo ceramic production in the region, with the geometric vocabulary of zigzags, triangles, and hatch-filled zones organized with compositional discipline across the interior surface. This bowl carries concentric bands of bold black geometric motifs radiating inward from the rim toward an undecorated central medallion, a layout typical of the finest St. Johns Polychrome examples.
The exterior is painted black consistent with the type, and the vessel retains its original surface with honest age and wear throughout and no evidence of restoration or overpainting. At nearly eleven inches in diameter, this is a substantial example of the form, reflecting the scale associated with communal or ceremonial use rather than individual domestic function. The Arizona private collection provenance is consistent with material collected prior to the regulatory environment established by ARPA in 1979.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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