Object: Effigy Jar

E/1956/6/5
Owl Effigy Jar
Pueblo of Zuni
North America: New Mexico
ca. 1912
Material: Ceramic

This object is an effigy jar in the form of an owl. It was produced by the Pueblo of Zuni around 1912 in present-day New Mexico. It measures 12.25 inches tall by 10 inches wide and is made from two separate pieces. Jars like this one are decorated with pottery slips, a method in which ceramic vessels are dipped in colored clay (see video below). The body of the jar has two wing-like projections on each side and a tail-like projection on the rear. There are also two horned projections on the head. Two frogs decorate the breast of the figure and may serve as symbols of rain. According to some Zuni artists, ceramic owl effigies have been in production for at least 400 years and have been used for ceremonial purposes. Among the Zuni, owls are often viewed as messengers of alertness. The Zuni people refer to themselves as A:shiwi and maintain a linguistically unique language that is unrelated to other languages in the area. The Pueblo of Zuni has been one of the most often visited groups of Native Americans by anthropologists and European surveyors. The pueblo has undergone many changes in pottery production, land holdings, and government. In the past century, the arts market has flourished, while over 450,000 acres of land holdings have been accumulated in Arizona and New Mexico, and the Zuni government has changed from a theocracy to a secular tribal council government.

[Lauren Simons]

Object: Basket

E/1954/19/10

Armadillo Basket
North America
20th Century
Materials: Armadillo shell

This basket is made from the shell of a nine-banded armadillo. The back of the armadillo forms the body of the basket and the looped tail forms the handle. The nine-banded armadillo is the only North American species of armadillo. Prior to 1850, the nine-banded armadillo was not found north of the Rio Grande river. In the past 150 years, however, armadillo populations have increased greatly in southern portions of the United States, and members of the species have been spotted as far north as Illinois. Armadillos generally live in temperate climates due to the lack of body fat and insulation against the cold. They are the only living mammals with shells and they subsist on insects, plants, and fruit.

The armadillo basket was popularized in the early 20th century by basketmaker Charles Apelt. Baskets, such as this one, were first displayed at the World’s Fair in 1902 and were an instant hit. Charles Apelt started the first armadillo farm in the United States and raised the animals for commercial purposes, producing baskets, lampshades, and smoker stands for tourists and collectors until the 1970s. Armadillo shells have also been used in other countries to make utility objects like musical instruments and food containers.

What do you think about this basket? Share your thoughts and enjoy getting to know the Story Behind the Object!

[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