Antique Polychrome Native Acoma Pottery Bowl

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Antique Polychrome Native Acoma Pottery Bowl. Polychrome on white bowl with geometric patterning along the exterior in typical black and … Read more Antique Polychrome Native Acoma Pottery Bowl. Polychrome on white bowl with geometric patterning along the exterior in typical black and orange. Small 3” hairline repair to bowl can be seen on the inside. Please refer to pictures for details. In good condition with wear consistent with age.

Size: 8.25”D x 4.75”H

Acoma artisans would collect clay from certain places on their land, mix it with finely ground shards of old pottery, soak the mix in water, and hand-form vessels with thin yet sturdy walls. After the pieces dried, they would apply a white earth slip made of sandstone dirt strained through cloth, polish the surfaces with smooth stones, and paint designs using a brush made from a yucca plant.

The geometric designs often contained fine lines representing rain, and orange bands at the bottom and top of the vessel to symbolize the sun. “Because it was believed that the sun rotates around Mother Earth, we have the [orange] above and below,” Juanico says.

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