Bowdoin College Museum of Art |

Preview image of work. terracotta, Water Jar or Olla 7592

1970.31

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Water Jar or Olla

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Artist

Artist Unidentified (Native American)

Title

Water Jar or Olla

Creation Date

ca. 1880

Century

19th century

Dimensions

10 in. x 13 in. (25.4 cm. x 33.02 cm.)

Object Type

ceramic

Creation Place

North America, United States, New Mexico

Medium and Support

terracotta

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. Herbert E. Hawkes

Copyright

Public Domain

Accession Number

1970.31

Hand-built of clay coils, this large water jar or olla was created at Zuñi Pueblo, an Indigenous community in New Mexico celebrated for its work in ceramics. After the vessel dried, its maker decorated it with a white clay slip highlighted by red and black pigments. The distinctive geometric pattern includes a deer with a red line running from its heart to its mouth. This heart-line, a symbol of the animal’s spirit, is common in Pueblo pottery. As the United States expanded westward, Native American nations were forced to adapt to new social and political circumstances, including the rise of tourism. During the nineteenth century a vogue for Indigenous artworks developed among non-Native collectors.

Additional Media

side/detail