Photograph by Addison Doty. Copyright 2010 School for Advanced Research.
Water jar | K'yabokya de'ele
Date: c. 1890
Artist or Maker: Unknown
Dimensions:
20.3 x 26.7 cm (8 x 10 1/2 in.)
Medium: clay | paints
Place Made:
Zuni Pueblo, McKinley County, New Mexico, Southwest, United States, North America
Object Number: IAF.787
Not on view
Tribal Collection Review RemarksJim Enote and Octavius Seowtewa during collection review visit February 17 and 18, 2010 (Events Record “Collection Review: Zuni Tribe, Review 4”): No remarks for this jar.
As per Jim Enote and Octavius Seowtewa during collection review visit Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 2011 (Events Record “Collection Review: Zuni Tribe, Review 7”): The rim is painted black and shows some light erosion and pitting. There is a thin black line immediately below the rim, but it is not possible to determine if it had a line break because of the erosion that has erased parts of the line. The neck is decorated with four repeating design compartments. Each compartment contains a total of four bird heads with rain lines surrounding each head. There are two bird heads on either side of each compartment, facing the middle of it. A thick double line with a line break separates the neck from the body designs. The body is decorated with two horizontal panels and two vertical panels that mirror each other on either side of the jar. The horizontal panels are divided into three parts, with two smaller compartments in the upper portion and one larger one in the lower portion. All three compartments contain bird heads surrounded by rain lines that are similar to the ones in the neck design. The vertical design panels each contain a four-sided star. Each of the stars is made up of three concentric four-sided stars. The inner star is a red outline, the middle one is black, as is the outer one. The star is surrounded by red and black bird tail, head, and feather elements and red crests. A single thin line with no line break separates the body designs from the base. The base is a solid dark brown. It shows normal wear and has a normal-sized concavity for carrying the jar on the head.
The word for a water jar in Zuni is “k'yabokya de'ele,” which translates to “water container vessel” 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)
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