Zuni Polychrome Bowl

very finely painted in red and brown against a cream slip, with a radiant medallion in the basin, surmounted by a frieze of concentric diamonds, the exterior with expanding panels enclosing typical split geometric devices; attributed to We'Wha (1848-1896).

Christopher Selser, Santa Fe, NM

Acquired from Sotheby's New York, October 1983, lot 123

ACA Indian Crafts, NY

Lanmon, 2006, We'Wha: A Zuni Man-Woman and His Pottery, Walpole Society Note Book, p. 96, fig. 6

Lanmon and Harlow, 2008, The Pottery of Zuni Pueblo, p. 525. fig. 34.52

Two pieces at the rim broken, re-cemented, and repainted.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

For a discussion of We'Wha see Lanmon and Harlow, 2008, pp. 522-525: "The Zuni lhamana (a man who dressed and lived as a woman), We'Wha became one of the most trusted informants of Colonel James Stevenson and his wife, Matilda Coxe Stevenson, in their work for the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) at Zuni after 1879. They invited him to Washington DC, in 1886 where he was feted by the wealthy and powerful, including by President Grover Cleveland. At about that time, George Wharton James noted that We'Wha's "pottery fetched twice the price of that of any other maker." Because of his skill as a potter, the Stevenson's commissioned We'Wha to make pottery for the BAE, but unfortunately, they did not record which pieces he made."