Large Signed Acoma Pueblo Polychrome Olla by Lydia H. Ray ("Lee")

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An exceptional hand-coiled Acoma Pueblo polychrome storage jar (olla) by Lydia H. Ray, affectionately known within her family as "Lee." … Read more An exceptional hand-coiled Acoma Pueblo polychrome storage jar (olla) by Lydia H. Ray, affectionately known within her family as "Lee." This impressive vessel exemplifies the enduring ceramic traditions of Acoma Pueblo, where pottery has been hand-built and decorated with natural earth pigments for generations.

Measuring an impressive 10 inches high by 10 inches in diameter with a 6½-inch opening, the jar displays a beautifully balanced globular form with a gently constricted neck and broad shoulder. The surface is richly decorated in the traditional Acoma palette of black and red mineral pigments over a white slip.

The design features exceptionally fine geometric hachure, sweeping fan motifs, terraced elements, feather-inspired forms, and alternating triangular neck bands arranged in a harmonious rotational composition. The precision of the brushwork reflects the skill of an experienced traditional Acoma potter.

The underside bears Lydia H. Ray's distinctive signature. According to her niece, Sharon Miller, Lydia was known throughout her family as "Lee." Rather than writing a conventional "L," she customarily represented it with two feather motifs, followed by "ee," then "Acoma, N.M." Sharon also noted that Lydia continued to paint her pottery using a traditional yucca brush, preserving an important aspect of Acoma pottery practice.

Lydia H. Ray is identified as an Acoma Pueblo potter and is included among the documented potters in Dwight P. Lanmon and Francis H. Harlow's landmark reference, The Pottery of Acoma Pueblo. While little biographical information has been published publicly about her, family testimony provides valuable context for her distinctive signature and working methods.

This large vessel is an outstanding example of traditional late twentieth-century Acoma pottery and would make an important addition to a collection of Native American, Southwestern, or Pueblo ceramics. See less