Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
1880
Pottery, mineral pigments
Height 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm); diameter 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm)
Provenance: Lancaster, Pennsylvania trade; Professor Joseph Henry, first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1846–1878
Zuni polychrome ollas of the late 19th century are distinguished by their broad shoulders, wide flat rims, and densely organized painted decoration combining bird figures, floral medallions, and geometric banding. This example features a frieze of stylized birds encircling the shoulder above a large central medallion on the body, a composition characteristic of Zuni work from this period. The provenance connection to Professor Joseph Henry, first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, places the piece among the earliest documented private collections of Southwestern ceramic material.
The vessel form, with its wide diameter relative to height and broad flat rim, is consistent with Zuni storage ollas of the 1880s. Decoration is executed in black and red on a white slip ground, with the bird band and floral medallion rendered with confident, practiced brushwork. The warm surface patina and condition of the piece reflect its age and careful preservation.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
1880
Pottery, mineral pigments
Height 9 1/2 in. (24.1 cm); diameter 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm)
Provenance: Lancaster, Pennsylvania trade; Professor Joseph Henry, first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1846–1878
Zuni polychrome ollas of the late 19th century are distinguished by their broad shoulders, wide flat rims, and densely organized painted decoration combining bird figures, floral medallions, and geometric banding. This example features a frieze of stylized birds encircling the shoulder above a large central medallion on the body, a composition characteristic of Zuni work from this period. The provenance connection to Professor Joseph Henry, first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, places the piece among the earliest documented private collections of Southwestern ceramic material.
The vessel form, with its wide diameter relative to height and broad flat rim, is consistent with Zuni storage ollas of the 1880s. Decoration is executed in black and red on a white slip ground, with the bird band and floral medallion rendered with confident, practiced brushwork. The warm surface patina and condition of the piece reflect its age and careful preservation.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
