Photograph by Addison Doty. Copyright 2010 School for Advanced Research.
Water jar | K'yabokya de'ele
Date: 1880 - 1890
Artist or Maker: Unknown
Dimensions:
Dimensions: 26.7 × 34.3 cm (10 1/2 × 13 1/2 in.)
Weight: 3.4 kg (7.5 lb.)
Medium: clay | paints
Credit Line: Indian Arts Fund purchase for the permanent collection, 1922.
Place Made:
Zuni Pueblo, McKinley County, New Mexico, Southwest, United States, North America
Object Number: IAF.9
Not on view
Tribal Collection Review RemarksOctavius Seowtewa during collection review visit Nov. 16 and 17, 2009 (Events Record “Collection Review: Zuni Tribe, Review 3”): 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”): This jar is in very good condition for its age. The base shows more wear than the rim or body of the jar, but not an unusual amount. There is no efflorescence on the exterior of the jar, not even on the base. The rim is painted black. It is also flares such that a cover could have been tied over the top of the jar. Immediately below the rim there is a single black line with no line break. The neck decoration consists of two pairs of designs. One design has a concentric four-sided star at its center. The innermost one is black with black rain hatching. The middle one is red. The outer one is black. The stars are surrounded by bird elements including tails and feathers. The second design is of bird tails, bird heads, and rain lines. A thick double line with a line break separates the neck and 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 bands. The upper band and lower band mirror each other and include two adjoining bird heads with crests, feathers, and tails. There is a smaller bird located in the triangular area where the two heads are adjoined. The middle band contains small red birds, with five of them on each side of the jar. The two vertical panels contain bird elements such as beaks, crests, eyes, and feathers. Some of them contain rain lines. There is a circle in the middle of the panel, surrounded by the bird elements. The body designs and the base are separated by a thin black line with no line break. The base is rough and shows more wear than the rest of the jar. It is inconsistent in this regard with the rest of the jar, which is otherwise in very good condition.
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)
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.