Acomita polychrome water jar

Unknown

ca. 1790 · Clay and pigment · The American Wing

The earliest Acomita water jars are distinguished by short, undecorated necks, bulbous mid-bodies, and dark concave underbodies. This example features a spiral configuration, possibly an abstract bird, painted against a white, open background on each side. The head, rectangular eye, and beak flow into the geometric shapes that may be stylized feathers and the bird’s body. In traditional Pueblo thought, birds and feathers are associated with prayers for rain, germination, and fertility.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1790

Medium

Clay and pigment

Culture

Acoma, Native American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of Native American Art, Gift of Charles and Valerie Diker, 2018