SOCORRO BLACK-ON-WHITE STORAGE JAR

George Terasaki, New York, acquired in the 1970s

Soccoro Black-on-white pottery was created by the Ancestral Pueblo people in the Rio Grande river valley between circa 900-1350 AD. It is characterized by meticulously prepared geometric designs, using black mineral paint on white slip. These decorations consist of different combinations of fine lines, dots, hatching, checkered squares and triangles. It is possible that these intricate, interconnected patterns are references to water circulation and precipitation, a chief concern among the Ancestral Pueblo people who inhabited a desert climate. The present example is notable for both its scale and its finely rendered design.