Unknown Acoma Potters

The potters of Acoma Pueblo have long produced utilitarian and decorative pottery but if it was made before about 1950, it's probably unsigned. Unsigned, we have little way of determining who the creator might have been.

That said, Acoma is at the northern boundary of the Mimbres culture and southern boundary of the Ancestral Puebloan culture. To the west is Zuni and Rio Salado, to the east is Pottery Mound and Isleta. Hundreds of years ago the people roamed this area looking for relief from the all-to-common droughts. Among them were legions of potters. There was constant, significant cross-pollination of techniques, forms and designs all across the Southwest for more than a thousand years. The Acoma oral history says they have lived on their mesa top for about that long, too, because their water sources have been that reliable.

Rain, interlocking kiva step and geometric design on a polychrome jar
From an unknown Acoma potter
7.75 in H by 10.5 in Dia
circa 1950
Black and white bird element and geometric design on a polychrome wedding vase with a twisted handle
Wedding vase from an unknown Acoma potter
10.25 in H by 12 in Dia
circa 1920
Geometric design on a polychrome jar
Unsigned polychrome jar with geometric design
9.75 in H by 12.5 in Dia
circa 1930, was varnished by a private collector
Geometric design on a polychrome jar
Polychrome jar decorated with a geometric design
7.25 in H by 8.5 in Dia
Parrot, floral and geometric design on a polychrome jar
Polychrome jar decorated with parrot, floral and geometric design by an unknown Acoma potter
12.75 in H by 18 in Dia
Circa 1900
Geometric design on a polychrome jar
Polychrome jar decorated with a geometric design
7.75 in H by 10.25 in Dia
Cloud, rain, bird element, kiva step and geometric design on a polychrome jar
Polychrome jar decorated with a cloud, bird element, rain, kiva step and geometric design
8 in H by 10.5 in Dia
Black and white rain, kiva step, Tularosa spiral and geometric design on a polychrome bowl
Polychrome bowl decorated with a Tularosa spiral, rain. kiva step and geometric design
5 in H by 10.5 in Dia
Geometric design on a polychrome jar
Polychrome jar decorated with geometric design
by an unknown Acoma potter

7.5 in H by 8.75 in Dia
Circa 1950
Geometric design on a polychrome jar
Polychrome jar decorated with a geometric design
4 in H by 5.25 in Dia
Rain, kiva step and geometric design on a polychrome jar
Polychrome jar decorated with a rain, kiva step and geometric design
8.5 in H by 10.75 in Dia
Pie crust rim and geometric design on a polychrome jar
Polychrome jar with pie crust rim and geometric design
9.5 in H by 7.75 in Dia
Geometric design on a polychrome jar
Polychrome jar with geometric design
6.5 in H by 7.25 in Dia
Handles and a geometric design on a polychrome jar Polychrome jar with handles and decorated with a geometric design
10.5 in H by 9 in Dia
4-panel parrot, rainbow and geometric design on a polychrome jar Polychrome jar decorated with a 4-panel parrot, rainbow and geometric design
7.5 in H by 10.25 in Dia
Cloud, rain and geometric design on a polychrome jar Polychrome jar decorated with cloud, rain and geometric design
8 in H by 9.5 in Dia