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Ceramic, pigmentexpand_more
Anonymous Giftexpand_more 2004.35.23
In the early 1800s, the A'shiwi (Zuni) began to paint life forms on their pottery, such as highly abstracted birds. Several decades later, more naturalistic renderings became common. A typical late 19th century A'shiwi olla would often be enclosed by a series of two or three horizontal bands of differing widths and would be interrupted by a rosette and also sometimes a deer. As in this example, the deer have a red "heart line," which runs down from the mouth and ends in an arrow shape at the heart. Based on a traditional A'shiwi story, the line may represent the animal's sacred breath of life.
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Copyright of the artist, artist's estate, or assignees