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: 17.8 × 25.4 cm (7 × 10 in.)
Weight: 1.5 kg (3.4 lb.)
Medium: clay | paints
Credit Line: Gift of H. P. Mera, 1924.
Place Made:
Zuni Pueblo, McKinley County, New Mexico, Southwest, United States, North America
Object Number: IAF.189
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.
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 was first painted red, but was then painted over with black. This is visible upon close inspection. There is a thin border line immediately below the rim. The neck is decorated with one continuous series of wing designs with cloud steps, filled in with rain lines. A thick double line with a line break separates the neck from the body. The body is decorated with six red birds with feather, wing, and rain line designs between each one. A line with a line break separates the body from the base. The base is painted a solid medium brown. The base shows some wear. It is concave. The “black” paint on this jar is actually a dark brown paint which was prepared with iron oxide. There are some fire clouds on the body of the jar. The interior of the jar is very light colored and may have been painted with a white paint made from gypsum. (The Zuni word for gypsum is “kechiba.”)
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 black, but it was first painted with red, which was then covered with the black. A single thin black line separates the rim from the neck designs. The neck design consists of a series of bird wings/step clouds filled with rain hatching. A thick double line with a line break separates the neck from the body. The body design has six red birds, each inside a “house” composed of feathers and wings/step clouds filled with rain hatching. A single thin black line with a line break separates the body designs from the base. The base is a solid dark brown. The base shows normal wear and has a normal-sized concavity for carrying on the head. There are several fireclouds on the exterior of the jar. The black paint used on the jar is actually a dark brown; iron oxide may have been mixed into the paint. The interior of the jar appears to have been painted white. During examination of the interior with a black light, the white on the interior fluoresced the same as the white slip on the exterior of the jar. The white paint may have been made with gypsum.
The word for a water jar in Zuni is “k'yabokya de'le,” 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:
Pueblo Designs
- Pg. 49
- Fig. Plate XVI, 9
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.