Skip to main content
Close
Vilcek Foundation
  • About
    • About

      The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation of the arts and sciences.

    • Our Mission
    • Board & Staff
    • Press Center
    • Contact
  • Prizes
    • Prizes

      The Vilcek Foundation Prizes are awarded to foreign-born individuals for extraordinary achievement in the arts and sciences.

    • About the Prizes

      Learn more about the Vilcek Foundation Prizes and the prizewinners.

    • Vilcek Prizes

      Awarded to immigrants with a legacy of major accomplishments.

    • Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise

      Awarded to young immigrant professionals who have demonstrated outstanding achievement early in their careers.

    • Vilcek Prize for Excellence

      Awarded to immigrants who have had a significant impact on American society, or to individuals who are dedicated champions of immigrant causes.

    • Prize Recipients
    • Grants for Organizations
  • Art
  • Events
  • News
Sign Up Search
Home > Art > Mogollon-Ancestral Puebloan jar

Mogollon-Ancestral Puebloan jar

A Mogollon-Ancestral Puebloan jar decorated with gray geometric patterns.
Artist

Unknown Artist

Date

1100-1300 CE (Late Pueblo II-Late Pueblo III Periods)

Medium

Painted ceramic

Object Type

Pottery

Dimensions

8 1/4 x 17 3/4 in. (21 x 40 cm)

Collecting Area

Native American Pottery

Credit Line

The Vilcek Foundation

Accession Number

VF2010.01.01

Copyright

© The Vilcek Foundation

Tags
ceramic mexico Mogollon New Mexico pottery Tularosa
Share this page
Twitter Facebook LinkedIn
A Mogollon-Ancestral Puebloan jar decorated with gray geometric patterns.

About the Object

An unknown artist created this vessel by layering clay coils on top of one another and then smoothing them with a scraping tool. The work’s motifs and white-on-black glaze reveal what scholars call the Tularosa style. Though the exact significance of the decorations remains uncertain, the motifs likely have multiple meanings: The spirals may represent a serpent, while the triangular forms with lines and dots possibly signify bird feathers. The darker trapezoidal features likely represent rain clouds. These were likely related to agricultural and life cycles.

 

Additional Information

Originating from nomadic groups such as the Conchise in the mountains of east central Arizona and west central New Mexico, the Mogollon culture eventually projected its influence as far as southern New Mexico, west Texas, and Northern Mexico. Beginning about 700 CE, the Mogollon began to use ceramics in place of baskets for storage, ritual, and trade; at the same time, they started moving into larger settlements. For the Mogollon and related cultures such as the Ancestral Puebloan, life was centered around a mixed agricultural, hunting, and gathering regime that included rabbits, deer, and birds, as well as foods such as maize, juniper berries, walnuts, and fruit from various cacti.

[Throckmorton Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM];
The Jan T. and Marica Vilcek Collection, 1997-2010;
Gift to The Vilcek Foundation, 2010;

Santa Fe. Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery (July 30, 2022-May 29, 2023); New York. Vilcek Foundation and Metropolitan Museum of Art (July 13, 2023-June 2, 2024); Houston. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (October 27, 2024-January 19, 2025); St. Louis. St. Louis Art Museum (March 9-June 1, 2025).

Tags
ceramic mexico Mogollon New Mexico pottery Tularosa
Share this page
Twitter Facebook LinkedIn

Related Objects

Santa Ana water jar

c. 1780-1800 Unknown Artist
A three-color Santa Ana polychrome water jar featuring white slip with black and red painted decoration.

Powhogeh storage jar

c. 1820 Unknown Artist
A Powhogeh storage jar with black and red painted decoration.

Kewa jar

c. 1900 Unknown Artist
A Kewa jar painted beige and black, with two bands of design, and a rust-colored bottom.

Acoma water jar

c. 1900 Unknown Artist
An Acoma pot decorated in white, red, orange, and black geometric shapes.

Zia jar

20th century Unknown Artist
A Zia pot with a large bird in the center surrounded by black and brown patterns.

Acoma / Laguna water jar

c. 1895 Unknown Artist
A four-color olla decorated with geometric shapes and checkered designs.

Zia storage jar

c. 1895 Reyes Galvan
A Zia jar decorated with two bands of designs, including birds, flowers, plants, and geometric shapes.

Kewa dough bowl

c. 1890s Monica Silva
A beige and brown ceramic Kewa dough bowl painted with a black design composed of oval elements.

Zia jar

c. 1890-1900 Unknown Artist
A Zia pot with a large bird and flowers painted in brown, red, and black.

Acoma jar

c. 1890 Unknown Artist
An Acoma jar decorated with black, beige, rust-brown, and red geometric patterns.

You may also be interested in

May 24, 2022

Vilcek Foundation supports “Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery”

The foundation has partnered with the School for Advanced Research to develop an exhibition of Native American pottery curated by the Pueblo Pottery Collective.
A close up of a pueblo pot against a black background.
August 10, 2022

The Coloring Book of Pueblo Pottery

The Coloring Book of Pueblo Pottery features 32 works of Native American pottery from the Vilcek Foundation Collection.
The cover of The Coloring Book of Pueblo Pottery
July 12, 2022

Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery

This catalogue accompanies the exhibition of the same name, a collaborative exhibition developed by the Vilcek Foundation with the School for Advanced Research and the Pueblo Pottery Collective.
A photo of the art catalogue for Grounded in Clay The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery

Join our mailing list

Sign Up
Vilcek Foundation
21 East 70th Street
New York, New York 10021

Phone: 212.472.2500

Email: info@vilcek.org

  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Board and Staff
    • Press Center
    • Contact
  • Prizes
    • Vilcek Prizes
    • Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise
    • Vilcek Prize for Excellence
    • Prize Recipients
    • Grants for Organizations
  • Art
  • Events
  • News
  • Careers
Connect with us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Vimeo
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2022   Vilcek Foundation