131216-01 Zuni olla, Rare Kiva Jar with Frogs
SKU:
131216-01
$6,500.00
$4,250.00
$4,250.00
per item
8 3/4" x 10"
Late 19th Century
With four frogs perched on rim and butterfly motif. One frog head and one leg has been restored, and the lower lip of another frog has a very small amount of repair (repairs seen only under black-light).
The Zuni people believed that frogs, tadpoles, hummingbirds, and dragonflies forecast rain and water, which were precious natural forces in an arid land. Hummingbirds were related to agricultural fertility because they drink flower nectar and spread pollen. Their bright plumage was associated with rainbows.
In the late 19th century, the Zuni Pueblo of New Mexico reached the height of artistry in its pottery making. Zuni vessels were decorated with rhythmical repetition of geometric designs, expressed with lines rather than solid painting. Sacred figurative images were typically used on jars consecrated for religious ceremonies and kept in buildings called Kivas.
Traditionally, Zuni women made pottery for food and water storage. They used symbols of their clans for designs the women would use. Clay for the pottery is sourced locally. Prior to its extraction, the women give thanks to the Earth Mother (Awidelin Tsitda) according to ritual. The clay is ground, and then sifted and mixed with water. After the clay is rolled into a coil and shaped into a vessel or other design, it will be scraped smooth with a scraper. A thin layer of finer clay, called slip, is applied to the surface for extra smoothness and color. The vessel is polished with a stone after it dries. It is painted with home-made organic dyes, using a traditional yucca brush. The intended function of the pottery dictates its shape and images painted on its surface. To fire the pottery, the Zuni used animal dung in traditional kilns.
Late 19th Century
With four frogs perched on rim and butterfly motif. One frog head and one leg has been restored, and the lower lip of another frog has a very small amount of repair (repairs seen only under black-light).
The Zuni people believed that frogs, tadpoles, hummingbirds, and dragonflies forecast rain and water, which were precious natural forces in an arid land. Hummingbirds were related to agricultural fertility because they drink flower nectar and spread pollen. Their bright plumage was associated with rainbows.
In the late 19th century, the Zuni Pueblo of New Mexico reached the height of artistry in its pottery making. Zuni vessels were decorated with rhythmical repetition of geometric designs, expressed with lines rather than solid painting. Sacred figurative images were typically used on jars consecrated for religious ceremonies and kept in buildings called Kivas.
Traditionally, Zuni women made pottery for food and water storage. They used symbols of their clans for designs the women would use. Clay for the pottery is sourced locally. Prior to its extraction, the women give thanks to the Earth Mother (Awidelin Tsitda) according to ritual. The clay is ground, and then sifted and mixed with water. After the clay is rolled into a coil and shaped into a vessel or other design, it will be scraped smooth with a scraper. A thin layer of finer clay, called slip, is applied to the surface for extra smoothness and color. The vessel is polished with a stone after it dries. It is painted with home-made organic dyes, using a traditional yucca brush. The intended function of the pottery dictates its shape and images painted on its surface. To fire the pottery, the Zuni used animal dung in traditional kilns.
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