Photograph by Addison Doty. Copyright 2010 School for Advanced Research.
Water jar | K'yabokya de'ele
Date: c. 1890
Artist or Maker: Unknown
Dimensions:
Overall: 19 x 26 cm (7 1/2 x 10 1/4 in.)
Medium: clay | paints
Credit Line: Gift of the Estate of Mr. Sheldon Parsons for inclusion in the Sheldon Parsons Memorial Collection, 1944.
Place Made:
Zuni Pueblo, McKinley County, New Mexico, Southwest, United States, North America
Object Number: IAF.2241
Not on view
Tribal Collection Review RemarksJim Enote and Octavius Seowtewa during collection review visit December 7 and 8, 2010 (Events Record “Collection Review: Zuni Tribe, Review 5”): The rim is black and shows some chipping and erosion. The neck designs are divided into three houses (compartments or panels). They each contain bird wings, tails, feathers, and rain hatching. On the shoulder is a double line with a line break separating the neck from the body designs. The body of the jar is divided into three houses with the same design repeating in each one. In the center of the design is a four-petaled flower. Bird wings/step clouds filled with rain hatching and bird tails extend outward from the flower. There is a thin border line between the body and the base. The base is black or dark brown. The base is worn very evenly on the bottom, but not as much as some other examples in the collection. The jar has been broken and repaired. There is a splash of red paint on one of the central flower designs. This jar, as well as IAF.2239 and IAF.2240 were all from the same donor. All three jars were examined with a black light during this review session, and each of them showed spatters of paint that were not original to the jar.
The word for a water jar in Zuni is “k'yabokya,” which translates to “water container” in English. The intended use for these jars was to store and carry water, but they could also be used to store other items.
In Collection(s)
The Indian Arts Research Center, in collaboration with Native American community scholars, strives to present accurate collections records. Records may be updated as new information becomes available and is reviewed with the Native American community having cultural affinity to particular items. Please write to iarc@sarsf.org if you have questions or concerns related to the documentation.