“Woman on a Dock (probably originally ‘Rotten Row, Brooklyn’),” circa 1886. Oil on board from a private collection.

Pueblo Pottery at the Southwest Museum

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. – Emanating back nearly 2,000 years, the tradition of Pueblo pottery in the American Southwest bespeaks of ancient customs, cultural exchange and unparalleled artistry. As part of the ongoing program to showcase the finest examples of its world-renowned collection, the Southwest Museum will present “: Historic Pueblo Pottery from the Southwest Museum,” held September 24 to June 17, 2001 at the Southwest Museum at Mount Washington. The museum’s collection of Pueblo pottery is among the finest and largest in existence.

Curated by Chief Curator Kathleen Whitaker, PhD, “” will feature 100 masterworks by the Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico. Finely crafted, rare and unique pottery, which the Spanish, in 1598, compared in quality and skill to the classic ceramics of Spain, will represent the various styles and traditions of each of the Western and Eastern Pueblo Villages.

The exhibition will highlight the ceramists from the village of San Ildefonso and will feature early Tesuque “rain god” effigies, rare Zuni ollas, large jars from Cochiti, Santo Domingo, Zia, Acoma and many other villages.

“Earth, Fire and Spirit” will examine the manufacture of pottery at the time of Spanish “discovery” and during the first 200 years of Spanish rule (1600-1800). The exhibition will also explore the lasting changes caused by the Spanish, the roles of men in pottery production (traditionally considered a woman’s occupation), the evolution of modern pottery styles (1800-1880) and the decline and revival of pottery through the contemporary period.

Among the many pieces on display are several very rare and ethnographically important examples of Pueblo pottery. The work of Nampeyo, a potter from the Tewa-Hopi village of Hano on First Mesa in Arizona, will be featured in the exhibition. The first pottery to be recognized for her artistry, Nampeyo’s work was born from the Sityatki tradition on the Hopi reservation and is coveted by collectors.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm. For information, 323/221-2164.