Minneapolis Institute of Art

Olla

A'shiwi (Zuni) artist

Date

c. 1880–95

Medium

Ceramic, pigment

Culture

A'shiwi (Zuni)

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In the early 19th century, the A'shiwi (Zuni) were among the first Pueblo communities to integrate the black-on-white style of the Ancient Puebloan potsherds into their contemporary wares. The black-on-white style refers to the black designs painted onto the white body of the vessel. The design on this pot first appeared on A'shiwi water jars or ollas in the early 19th century and became popular in the 1870s. Each bend, curve and stroke was carefully copied onto hundreds of A'shiwi pots. The swirling spiral element of the design represents an extremely stylized and abstracted bird, which is commonly called a rain bird. United States, Americas

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