Historic Acoma Pueblo Polychrome Olla Jar, c.1930

Historic Acoma Pueblo polychrome olla, ca. 1930, hand-coiled from traditional Acoma clay with the rounded shoulder, tapered neck, concave underbody, and orange-slipped lower section characteristic of the period. The cream-white kaolin slip is hand-painted in black and orange-red mineral pigments, organized around a central diamond medallion enclosing a four-part pinwheel and flanked by curvilinear panels of stepped triangles, hatched fillers, and stylized rainbird tail elements. The brown rim, white matte interior, and underbody fire clouds are all consistent with outdoor pit firing and traditional Acoma construction.

The lower body carries a hand-painted script inscription reading "ACOMA POTTERY" in iron-oxide pigment — a designation on some Acoma pottery produced for sale through trading networks during this era. Comparable historic Acoma polychrome jars of this period and form are documented in Rick Dillingham's Acoma & Laguna Pottery (1992), the standard reference on the tradition.

CONDITION Good. Scattered paint loss to the red-orange pigment fields, most prominent on two of the lower diamond panels and along the central medallion, with smaller flaked areas on adjacent red triangles. Light scuffing to the cream slip and minor rim edge wear; no cracks, hairlines, or repairs noted.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Height: 7"
• Diameter: 8.5"
• Hand Coiled
• Hand Painted
• Concave Bottom
• Campbell's Soup Can (4" H) Shown for Scale