Object: Lekythos

C/2001/1/42
Red Figure Lekythos
Southern Italy, Apulia
Apulian
Attributed to the Choes Painter
ca. 350 BCE
Materials: ceramic

This object is a red figure Apulian lekythos that is believed to have been painted by the Choes Painter. The Choes Painter is part of the Lecce Group of Apulian Red Figure vase painters. A similar lekythos, attributed to the Thrysus painter (also part of the Lecce Group) can be found in the Ure Museum, of the University of Reading.

Red Figure vase painting was developed in Athens around 530 BCE and quickly surpassed Black Figure vase painting in popularity. Attic Red Figure vases were highly prized trade items and by the mid-5th century BCE workshops specializing in Red Figure pottery began to be found in Greek colonial areas such as Southern Italy. Before long the Red Figure vases of Apulia were comparable in artistic quality with those produced in Athens.

Apulian vase painting is commonly divided into two main styles, the “Plain” style and the “Ornate” (or “Rich”) style. The “Ornate” style is found mainly on large vessels like volute kraters or amphorae and, like the name suggests, is characterized by elaborate painted scenes sometimes containing up to twenty human figures. “Ornate” style decoration also tends to use a wider range of colors in its decoration, including lots of yellow and white painted areas. Meanwhile, “Plain” style vases tend to be small and the decoration is kept simple, with typically no more than a few human figures. [Kate Barr]

Object: Lekythos

C/2001/1/16
Black Figure Lekythos
Greece
Attic
Attributed to the Athena Painter
ca. 450-430 BCE
Materials: ceramic

This object is a black figure Attic lekythos that is believed to have been painted by the Athena Painter. Lekythos, is the name that is used to describe a piece of Greek pottery that is cylindrical in shape with a single vertical handle. Lekythoi have a slender neck and a slightly larger mouth. It is thought that lekythoi were mainly used to hold oil or perfume, commonly used during religious ceremonies.

Painted Greek vases are known from as early as the second millennium BCE, and pottery was produced all over the Greek world. Early on there were countless local styles, but by the middle of the six century BCE the vases of Attica and its capital Athens had exceeded in quantity and quality those of their nearest rivals. This Attic supremacy lasted for a century and a half and survived many wars and political upheavals. After the Peloponnesian war Attic pottery went into a slow but steady decline, though vase painting continued in other parts of the Greek world.

The painted scene on this object depicts three warriors. They are shown as black figures with details etched through the paint and into the ceramic underneath. Moving counterclockwise from the handle, the first figure is standing with a shield in his left hand and a spear in his right. He is facing to the right and appears to be attacking the second figure. The second figure is crouching and facing the first figure. He holds a shield in his right hand, as if in defense, and a spear in his left. The third figure is facing the other two and is standing. He holds a shield in his right hand and has a spear drawn back in his left.

In black-figure vase painting, the decoration was applied by painting on a slip that turned black during firing, while the background was left the color of the clay. Vase painters added details to their decorations by incising parts of the painted slip or by adding small areas of white and purple. The white and purple areas were painted with mixtures of pigment and clay. In order to complete the pot, a special three stage firing process was used. During the first, oxidizing stage, air was allowed into the kiln, turning the whole vase the color of the clay. In the subsequent stage, green wood was introduced into the chamber and the oxygen supply was reduced, causing the object to turn black in the smoky environment. In the third stage, air was reintroduced into the kiln, causing the unpainted portions of the pot to turn back to orange while the painted areas remained black. The following is a video illustrates how Greek pottery was made.

The Athena Painter specialized in lekythoi and many pieces that have been attributed to this artist depict the goddess Athena in the painted decoration. The Athena Painter was one of only a few artists that continued to work in the black figure style after the red figure technique became popular. Other examples of pieces attributed to the Athena Painter can be found in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and many others. [Kate Barr]

Object: Ceramic Moccasin

E/1955/9/29
Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo: Ceramic Moccasin
Southwest US
Date Unknown
Materials: Ceramic

This ceramic moccasin is from the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo (renamed the Pueblo de San Juan de los Caballeros by the Spanish in the 1500s). Ohkay Owingeh literally means “Place of the Strong People.” During the periods of Spanish occupation (late 1500s to early 1800s), the Pueblo became a stronghold for neighboring Puebloans, so much so that it was said only an O’ke native could declare war for the Pueblo Indians. One of their most famous members, Popé, did just that and led the Pueblo Revolt of 1680! Today Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo serves as the headquarters of the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council.

The Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo is part of the Tewa linguistic group. Five other Pueblo groups share this language, including the Nambé, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, and Tesuque Pueblos. Recently, Puebloans such as Ester Martinez have worked to preserve the Tewa language and pass it on to new generations of Puebloans. To hear an audio sample of Tewa from the Tewa Pueblo Women’s Choir of New Mexico, click on the player above!

Ohkay Owingeh 2009

This ceramic moccasin is small, measuring only 3.5 x 3.0 inches (about the size of a Post-it® note), and is chipped on the toe. A small groove is etched around the base of the moccasin to differentiate the sole from the rest of the body. The body of the moccasin is slipped in red clay, and the sole, in brown clay. In pottery production, slips are similar to glazes. The process of slipping requires that the pottery be dipped in colored clay, fired, and then stone-polished to achieve luster and shine. There are no maker’s marks or signatures on the piece, and the date of production is unknown. According to some historians, “San Juan” pottery production ceased in the early 1900s, with the exception of occasional pieces for sale or trade, like this piece. If you have more information about moccasin pottery, or can help identify the maker of this piece, let us know. And enjoy getting to know the Story Behind the Object!

[Lauren Simons]

Object: Cooking Pot

E/1956/6/2
Navajo Tribe: Cooking Pot
Southwest US
19th Century
Materials: Ceramic

This cooking pot is an example of Navajo pottery from the early 1800s. Navajo pottery has been in production for hundreds of years and is unique from the pottery of many other American Indian tribes in that it does not exhibit the artistic designs traditionally associated with Indian pottery (compare to the example of Hopi pottery below). Painted designs were prohibited due to a belief that they would bring misfortune to the tribe. Navajo pottery was produced primarily by women, though in recent years this has changed with the work of male artists such as Jimmy Wilson. The process of making Navajo pottery is unique. Unlike other tribes, the Navajo do not grind old shards of pottery for reuse in new pieces. This comes from the belief that old pottery shards belong to Anasazi ancestors. Also unique to the Navajo tradition is the practice of covering pottery pieces with melted piñon pitch after firing. The coating gives Navajo pottery a dark appearance and distinct smell.

Navajo pottery was not recognized for its artistic value until the 1950s when artists such as Rose Williams attracted the attention of museum markets and pottery fairs. Today, however, there are many collectors of Navajo pottery and interest in its production has been revived. Museums now display Navajo pottery and schools offer lessons on Navajo pottery techniques. Many Navajo artists fire their pieces one at a time, outside in a traditional fire pit. The process involves the whole family, as individual members are responsible for digging the clay, coiling/pinching the vessel, gathering the pitch, and tending the fire.

The following is a video excerpt of Michelle Williams, granddaughter of Rose Williams, explaining how she makes contemporary Navajo pottery. Check it out and enjoy learning the Story Behind the Object! [Lauren  Simons]

[Lauren Simons]

Object: Bowl

NAM-15-31-087
New Mexico
Santa Clara Pueblo
20th century
Materials: ceramic

Santa Clara Pueblo is one of many so-called “Pueblo” tribes from the southwest. The Spanish first encountered this group of tribes in the 16th century, living in villages that the Spanish called pueblos, meaning “villages.” While these tribes may have seemed similar to early Spanish explorers there are many differences in language, religious beliefs, and social structure that make each pueblo unique.

This bowl is a typical example of Santa Clara Pueblo pottery. Pottery from this tribe is similar to that made by the San Ildefonso Pueblo but tends to have thicker walls and deeply carved designs. Both tribes are known for their black-on-black style of pottery that was popularized by the famous San Ildefonso potter, Maria Martinez.

This particular bowl is interesting because it has a signature on the bottom, which reads “Rosalie and Joe.” It seems likely that this signature indicates that Rosalie and Joe Aguilar made this bowl. Rosalie was a prolific potter during her lifetime. She was a friend and neighbor of Rose Gonzales and during the early 1930s she and Rose were among the first to carve pottery. Rosalie’s deep carved black ware in the form of jars and bowls were carved in the ‘cameo style.’ The clay was carefully carved away allowing her designs to stand out in relief. She then rounded the edges by sanding. Joe was the son of Susana Martinez Aguilar, and the husband of Rosalie Simbola Aguilar. Joe was an excellent painter and painted pots formed by his mother Susana and his wife Rosalie.

An example of another bowl made by Rosalie and Joe Aguilar can be found in the Wichita State University, Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology. There are also several examples of their signature available on the internet. However, when examining the signature closely I noticed that the “J” in Joe’s signature is written differently than on the online examples. Can you help? Do you know if the signatures on this piece are really those of Rosalie and Joe Aguilar? If you can help SNOMNH identify this item, let us know what you know via a comment to this weblog or via email to dcswan@ou.edu. [Kate Barr]

For more information on Santa Clara pottery see:
Santa Clara Pottery Today by Betty LeFree
or
Santa Clara Pottery by Museum of the Plains Indian and Crafts Center

Objects: Feeding Bottles

C/1957/2/5, C/1957/3/11 & C/1957/3/12
Rhine River
Roman
Unknown date
Materials: ceramic

This group of three objects shows a type of ceramic vessel often known as a “feeder” or “feeding” bottle. This type of vessel can be found in a variety of materials throughout the ancient world, but is most commonly made of either ceramic or glass. While there is some question as to their use, typically this style of vessel is believed to be an ancient baby bottle.

The vessels could be filled with a type of gruel, porridge, milk, or other liquid, which would be fed to the child out of the small spout near the center of the vessel. Unlike modern baby bottles, these ancient versions were probably not given to the child to feed themselves but rather were held and poured by an adult.

All three of these “feeding” bottles in the collection of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History are believed to have been excavated from along the Rhine River during the 1880’s-1890’s. [Kate Barr]

Other examples of “feeding” bottles can be found at: The British Museum, the Museum of London, and the Ackland Art Museum.

For more information on Roman pottery, see:
Rhenish wares : fine dark coloured pottery from Gaul and Germany by R P Symond
Types of Roman coarse pottery vessels in northern Britain by J P Gilla
Roman pottery research in Britain and North-West Europe : papers presented to Graham Webster by A C Anderson & Alastair Scott Anderson

Object: Figurines

E/1957/21/21
India
1950’s
Materials: Ceramic, metal, paint

These tiny, yet beautiful figurines, standing merely 2 inches tall, were made to be purchased by Ganges pilgrims at Benares, India as token of having made the journey. Each of the figurines were hand-painted with a great deal of detail and most of the figures can be identified as specific Hindu deities.

These figurines represent many important deities of the Hindu religion. They include Parsam Ram (an incarnation of Vishnu), Saraswati, Krishna, Sita, Rama (an incarnation of Vishnu), an unidentified female figure, Kunti, Vishnu, Radha, Hannuman, and Rishi (the figures are shown from left to right, in this order, in the photograph below).

While the pantheon of Hindu deities is quite extensive, most of these characters are mentioned in the more famous ancient epics of India: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and are fundamental to Hindu belief. These epics are long heroic tales originally written in Sanskrit. Of the figurines held by the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Rama, Sita (Rama’s consort), and Hanuman are extremely important characters in the Ramayana epic. In this legend, Hanuman is a monkey who discovers he has special powers given to him by the gods. He and Sita assist Rama in his heroic battle against Ravana and his plot to conquer the heavens.

Of the many Hindu deities, there are three that are commonly grouped as the primary trinity of Hinduism. These are Vishnu (the protector), Brahma (the creator), and Siva (the destroyer). These three deities are believed to create a balance in the universe. In the group of figurines held at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Vishnu is depicted three times (he is the first, fifth, and eighth figure shown below) [Chenoa Copeland].

Object: Vase

AS-04-22-041
Vase
Ming Dynasty, China
1368-1644
Materials: clay, glaze

This vase is an example of the famous blue on white porcelain that was popular during the Ming dynasty of China (1368-1644). It is a pear shaped vase with blue floral designs on a white background of the body and upper rim. The mouth is small compared to the body and the lip is glazed brown for protection. A crack runs along one side but does not reach the top and there is an unidentified maker’s mark on the bottom.

Porcelain is made from a special type of clay called kaolin or china clay since that is where it was first discovered. The same techniques are used to shape the clay as with other pottery but it is fired (the process of applying heat to pottery to make it hard) at much higher temperatures, up to 1200°C.

Porcelain was a long guarded secret in China for many centuries making it a very valuable trade item. What distinguishes porcelain from other pottery is its translucent glass-like quality. There is no need for glaze as it is already water tight though it can be glazed for decorative purposes as is seen here. Early types included the green colored porcelain known as celadon. Later, it was found that the mineral cobalt, when applied and fired, would produce a brilliant blue color. This technique was perfected and produced in large numbers during the Ming dynasty. For more information, read Li He’s Chinese Ceramics: the New Standard Guide or Prudence M. Rice’s Pottery Analysis: a sourcebook, or visit the Guest and Gray website. [Victoria Counts]

Object: Drum

AF-1-4-1
Pottery Drum

Imazighen (= Berber), [Former French Morocco], Morocco, North Africa
before 1952
Materials: clay, glaze, adhesive, animal skin

Small, goblet shaped drums of this basic type are found around the Mediterranean eastward through Islamic and Islamic-influenced lands as far as South Asia. The general type is known widely under the name doumbek but this small, Moroccan version of the goblet drum is a tarija. It is central to the traditional music of the indigenous peoples of North Africa, the Berbers. Berber peoples increasingly refer to themselves as Imazighen, meaning ‘free people’ in their own languages.

Hear a tarija played by itself here. Read a BBC story here about Berber music today that includes discussion of the tarija. Find a scholarly account of Moroccan women’s musical performance, including use of the tarija, here.

Collection records indicate that the head of this SNOMNH example is of goatskin, but this has not been studied or confirmed independently.

Do you make or play such drums? Do you know of good sources of information on such drums? Let us know what you know. Provide a comment to this weblog or via email to dcswan (at) ou (dot) edu. [Jason Baird Jackson]

Object: Vase

EU-3-?-2
Pottery Vase

Italy, Southern Europe
before 1967
Materials: clay, glazes

Museums often hold objects and collections about which frustratingly little is known. This attractive vase is of considerable value to the Division of Ethnology at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History because it is one of only a few objects of material culture in its collections that are sourced to Europe. The field of anthropology aspires to understand and interpret the human story across space and time. In museums, this lofty goal is difficult to pursue when anthropological collections are unevenly patterned, either temporally or spatially. Less than one quarter of one percent of the SNOMNH collection comes from Europe. Thus for purposes of, for instance, doing a student exhibition on pottery around the world, this vase would be a crucial resource. Here is where the lack of adequate documentation accompanying this object reappears as a problem to be dealt with. Can you help? Do you know something about the kind of pottery that this piece exemplifies? Museum records suggest that it is from Italy, but even this fact is a bit uncertain. If you can help SNOMNH understand this item better, let us know what you know via a comment to this weblog or via email to dcswan (at) ou (dot) edu. [Jason Baird Jackson]