Description:

Native American, Southwestern United States, Zuni, ca. 1910s to 1920s CE. A fine pottery bowl presenting a stepped rim and 4 terraced sides- combined these elements represent the cardinal directions and steps that lead into the sacred Kiva. The kiva is a partially underground chamber where religious rituals were carried out - and was considered the heart of the community and served as a connection to the spiritual world. The bowl is slipped in white and painted with black and red pigments- a frog in the center basin and relief molded frogs to the sides, and abstract tadpoles on the exterior. These amphibians traditionally represent water which was, not surprisingly, sacred to the indigenous peoples of the desert. The existence of tadpoles indicated plentiful water and by extension symbolized fertility and life. Size: 7" Diameter x 3" H (17.8 cm x 7.6 cm)

Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection; ex-private Houston, Texas, USA, collection; ex-Christie's, New York, "American Indian Art" auction#: 1332, January 12, 2004, lot#: 120; ex-Denver Art Museum, deaccessioned February 2003.

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#181459

  • Condition: Chips and abrasions to the relief frogs, but bowl is otherwise intact. Multiple written inventory numbers and labels on the base.

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November 16, 2023 8:00 AM MST
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