figural vase

unrecorded Kotyit (Cochiti) artist

figural vase, late 1800s

Where object was made: New Mexico Territory (present-day New Mexico), United States

Material/technique: ceramic; paint

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 18.5 x 14.5 x 20 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 7 5/16 x 5 11/16 x 7 7/8 in

Credit line: Gift of James K. Allen

Accession number: 2007.4221

Not on display

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The Object Feels

From about 1870-1920, Santa Fe merchants commissioned Cochiti artists to produce effigy figures to sell on the art market. This is one example of an effigy vase, which features a rounded base and two spouts shaped like animal heads with pointed ears and open mouths. The bottom third of the pot is red. The top, including the heads, is a cream color with black polka dots. At the time artists made these pots they sold with little success and were considered “tourist items.” Therefore, many museums did not purchase them. Today, museums recognize that these works were created in response to an influx of newcomers that precipitated a changing lifestyle and new social pressures on Cochiti artists.

Brosseau Center for Learning: The Object Feels