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Acomita polychrome water jar

ca. 1790
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 746
The earliest Acomita water jars are distinguished by short, undecorated necks, bulbous mid-bodies, and dark concave underbodies. This example features a spiral configuration, possibly an abstract bird, painted against a white, open background on each side. The head, rectangular eye, and beak flow into the geometric shapes that may be stylized feathers and the bird’s body. In traditional Pueblo thought, birds and feathers are associated with prayers for rain, germination, and fertility.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Acomita polychrome water jar
  • Date: ca. 1790
  • Geography: Made in New Mexico, United States
  • Culture: Acoma, Native American
  • Medium: Clay and pigment
  • Dimensions: 10 1/2 × 12 in. (26.7 × 30.5 cm)
  • Credit Line: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection of Native American Art, Gift of Charles and Valerie Diker, 2018
  • Object Number: 2018.867.5
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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