Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
1890–1900
Ceramic, white slip, mineral pigment
Height 8½ in (21.6 cm)
Provenance: Santa Barbara trade; Southern California museum collection; old museum labels attached
Zuni canteens were made for carrying and storing water, their compact, flattened form and suspension holes reflecting practical use within Pueblo life alongside the bold decorative treatment that characterizes the best Zuni ceramic production of the late nineteenth century. This example carries a large floral or rosette medallion in bold black and red-orange mineral pigment on a cream white slip ground, the sweeping curved forms of the decoration filling the face of the vessel with a composition that balances organic and geometric elements in the manner characteristic of accomplished Zuni painters of this period. The old museum labels attached to the piece document its institutional collecting history and should be preserved as part of its record.
The surface shows an aged patina consistent with handling, display, and long preservation in a collection environment, and the original pigment retains strong definition and contrast throughout. The Santa Barbara trade and Southern California museum association give this canteen a documented provenance spanning the early collecting period for Southwestern material on the West Coast. Canteens of this decorative quality and with intact institutional provenance documentation are seldom encountered outside of museum holdings.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
1890–1900
Ceramic, white slip, mineral pigment
Height 8½ in (21.6 cm)
Provenance: Santa Barbara trade; Southern California museum collection; old museum labels attached
Zuni canteens were made for carrying and storing water, their compact, flattened form and suspension holes reflecting practical use within Pueblo life alongside the bold decorative treatment that characterizes the best Zuni ceramic production of the late nineteenth century. This example carries a large floral or rosette medallion in bold black and red-orange mineral pigment on a cream white slip ground, the sweeping curved forms of the decoration filling the face of the vessel with a composition that balances organic and geometric elements in the manner characteristic of accomplished Zuni painters of this period. The old museum labels attached to the piece document its institutional collecting history and should be preserved as part of its record.
The surface shows an aged patina consistent with handling, display, and long preservation in a collection environment, and the original pigment retains strong definition and contrast throughout. The Santa Barbara trade and Southern California museum association give this canteen a documented provenance spanning the early collecting period for Southwestern material on the West Coast. Canteens of this decorative quality and with intact institutional provenance documentation are seldom encountered outside of museum holdings.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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