1990s Robert Lentz Original Kuaua Pueblo Kiva Mural Architectural Sculpture

Details

Description

An impressive, large-scale original architectural sculpture by renowned American iconographer Robert Lentz, featuring a painted interpretation of a historic Kuaua … Read more An impressive, large-scale original architectural sculpture by renowned American iconographer Robert Lentz, featuring a painted interpretation of a historic Kuaua Pueblo kiva mural dating to approximately A.D. 1500.

Inspired by ceremonial murals discovered at Kuaua Pueblo, part of the historic Tiguex region near present-day Bernalillo, New Mexico, this extraordinary artwork reflects the sacred imagery and artistic traditions of the ancestral Pueblo peoples.

Ceremonial Imagery and Symbolism

The composition depicts a stylized Native American ceremonial figure associated with rain, fertility, and ritual life. The figure holds a circular hoop containing a white bird while directing a flowing stream of water into a ceremonial vessel below.

The imagery evokes the life-giving importance of rain in the arid Southwest, where water was essential to agriculture, fertility, and the continuation of life.

The bird enclosed within the hoop may suggest spiritual communication or the relationship between the earthly and sacred realms. The ceremonial vessel, receiving the descending stream, can be interpreted as a symbol of abundance, renewal, and the sustaining power of water.

Together, these elements create a compelling visual expression of humanity's relationship with nature, the seasonal cycles, and the spiritual significance of rainfall in ancestral Pueblo culture.

Artistic Construction

Executed in painted stucco over a substantial architectural form, the sculpture incorporates an organically contoured silhouette, textured surfaces, and an earthy palette of muted rose, terracotta, ochre, charcoal, and ivory.

The deliberately irregular boundaries of the painted composition evoke an ancient mural fragment, lending the work an archaeological character while preserving the expressive qualities of the original imagery.

Standing nearly five feet tall, this remarkable sculpture offers an exceptional focal point for collectors of Southwestern art, contemporary sacred imagery, and historically inspired architectural sculpture.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Robert Lentz (born 1946) is an American artist and iconographer known for his interpretations of sacred imagery and spiritual traditions. His work combines traditional iconographic techniques with subjects drawn from diverse historical and cultural backgrounds.

Associated with New Mexico, Lentz has created numerous works exploring spirituality, religious identity, and the relationship between art and sacred traditions.

PROVENANCE

Private family collection. Acquired directly from Robert Lentz by the sellers brother, who studied iconography under the artist.

A written provenance statement documenting the acquisition will accompany the sculpture.

CONDITION

The painted front features intentionally irregular decorative boundaries, consistent with the artist's interpretation of an ancient mural fragment.

The stucco sides exhibit several visible horizontal and irregular cracks, with some areas showing lighter underlying material. One side has localized surface loss and associated cracking.

The rear retains its textured stucco finish with minor surface irregularities.

Please review all photographs, including detailed images of the side surfaces.

MEASUREMENTS

Height: 57 inches
Width: 24 inches
Depth: 9 inches
Weight: 67 pounds

PERIOD

Late 20th Century — exact date to be confirmed.

MATERIALS

Painted stucco over constructed architectural form; internal structural materials not confirmed.

STYLE

Southwestern

ART SUBJECT

Figures / Religious and Spiritual Imagery See less