Photograph by Addison Doty. Copyright 2010 School for Advanced Research.
Water jar | K'yabokya de'ele
Date: c. 1850
Artist or Maker: Unknown
Dimensions:
Dimensions: 30.5 × 35.5 cm (12 × 14 in.)
Weight: 3.8 kg (8.3 lb.)
Medium: clay | paints
Place Made:
Zuni Pueblo, McKinley County, New Mexico, Southwest, United States, North America
Object Number: IAF.1272
Not on view
Tribal Collection Review RemarksJim Enote and Octavius Seowtewa during collection review visit April 6 and 7, 2009 (Events Record “Collection Review: Zuni Tribe, Review 1”): This jar is not ceremonial. Though it is classified on the catalog card as Pseudo-Ceremonial, it should no longer be classified this way because it was not made with the intention of making the item appear ceremonial. It is just a water jar made to look old. A note in the IAF pottery catalog says : "Used by the Rain Clan, see #1240." The IAF pottery catalog note for IAF.1240 states the jar was used by one of the four divisions of the Rain Clan. However, there is not a Rain Clan at Zuni, therefore there aren't any "divisions" of it, either. There is a Water Clan, but it is not only associated with rain. Also, the clan is not divided into sub-clans.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 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 dark brown and this extends very far into the interior side of the neck, nearly four inches. Immediately below the rim is a thin double line with a line break. The neck decoration consists of three repeating bird, feather, and stepped cloud designs. The neck and shoulder designs are separated by a triple line with a line break. The middle line is thick and the other two are thin. Just below that line, four large triangles, each with a bird inside it, wrap around the shoulder of the jar. The triangles are formed with the same thick/thin triple lines as that form the neck/body dividing line. Below the triangles with birds in them, there are two large stepped cloud designs pointing in the four directions, positioned with one on each side of the jar. They are filled with black rain hatching lines. At their centers they have a rectangle containing a stepped cloud and feather design. Between the two large stepped clouds there are two vertical designs consisting of tail feathers, also with a rectangle at their centers. The rectangles contain a diamond shape with a cross-like element. It is important to note that this is not a Christian or Western cross. Zuni tradition also uses cross shapes and they have their own significance in Zuni culture. A thin double line with a line break separates the body designs from the base. The base is reddish brown and shows some wear. It has a normal-sized concavity for carrying the jar on the head. The rim shows some wear, but not much. There are some cracks in the neck. There is a pitch repair to a chip in the body of the jar, located in one of the birds’ tails. There are some drips of slip visible on the interior of the jar.
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)
Bibliography:
The Pottery of Zuni Pueblo
- Pg. 129; 146
- Fig. 7.22; 8.6a
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.