2-747-929 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Water Jar (Olla), 1850-1860 . The Zuni carried water in jars like this one balanced atop the head. The water well was a gathering place and the vessels’ public visibility explains their elaborate decoration-here, a beautifully rendered rain bird whose beak spirals between two stylized wings. The wings’ stepped shape and hachure represent rain-filled clouds.