An Early Zia Polychrome Pictorial Jar

circa 1875, with concave base, rounded body and a tapering neck, painted in orange, sienna and dark brown against a worn white slip, with an undulating band flanked by birds, probably parrots, each with a diamond on its breast, nibbling from berry-laden branches.

The Gallegos Collection, Albuquerque, NM

Harlow, Two Hundred Years of Historic Pueblo Pottery: The Gallegos Collection, Santa Fe, 1990, pl. 42: “Just as at Acoma, the incorporation of parrots into the designs of Zia pottery was often accompanied by the use of four colors: black, white, red, and orange. This jar is an excellent example – bold, strong, charming – a classic reminder of Zia pottery making during one of its finest periods, circa 1870-1880.

In typical style, the underbody flares out with a nearly straight profile and is red banded at the top, just below the design area. The rim top is black and the interior of the neck is red. Clay for the construction is tempered with crushed black volcanic basalt. A slightly unusual feature is the abundantly-crazed slip with upturned scab edges. The jar is hard-fired and has a nice ring.

 

With perfect attention to detail, the artist has displayed all of the characteristic parrot attributes, most of them essentially identical to the features so scrupulously incorporated onto the contemporary parrots at Acoma. These include the curved beaks, the diamond figure on the body, the semicircle area towards the rear of the body, and the tail composed of three distinct feathers. The downward placement of the feet, which do not grasp a sprig of foliage, the lack of a detached embellishment on the back of the head, and the configuration of the wings are more typical of the Zia version of the parrot. Also more characteristic of Zia is the undulating red band that encircles the jar.

The pigments used for painting the designs are especially luxurious on this handsome jar. The orange and red clays have a warm glow, and the black mineral paint is thick and nicely textured. Here is an excellent example by which to contrast the Zia black pigment, made of finely powdered mineral in an organic binder, with the material used at Cochiti, Santo Domingo, San Ildefonso and Tesuque, made of boiled leaves and stems of the Rocky Mountain bee plant.”