Featured Santo Domingo Tiny black picher

I was hoping someone could tell me about this little piece.
It is 2 1/2" tall and about 1 3/4" diameter Signed on the bottom.

Mikey

 

Nice Mikey-I'm def no expert, but generally Santo Domingo Pueblo pieces seem to use a subtractive method, this piece seems to have an applied design and could be a Mexican piece.
BUT-I'm no expert,let's get the Pros involved-
@Potteryplease @2manybooks @komokwa

 

It's not applied!
Mikey

 

No problem Mikey,I'm def no expert and I stand corrected-Peace mate.Hopefully our savvier friends will get here soon.

 

What I think @bosko69 is referencing is that generally, the shiny parts are the burnished clay surface of the pot itself, and the matte parts are where a slip has been painted on, making the designs actually negative space designs. On this pot, that seems reversed. Maybe the pics are confusing us?

"S.D.P" certainly does stand for Santo Domingo Pueblo and was typical for pottery from there. Today it's sometimes called Kewa Pueblo as colonial names are changed back to indigenous ones.

 

Thank you @Potteryplease
Yes it's a shadow in my lousy pics. The whole thing is shiny black except for inside the designs. I'll get a better picture
Mikey

 

A little better..

 

That's clearer. Thanks.

Is the glossy part 'raised' higher than the matte part? In other words, does it seem like the gloss is a glaze?

If so, that would only mean that it's not traditional. Patterns change, potters mix things up, and are always trying something new.

 

Yes the glossy part is raised. I thought the matt was cut into the glaze?

Mikey

 

The so-called 'black on black' Pueblo pottery does not traditionally use any glaze. The raw clay vessel is burnished, making it shiny, then designs are painted on using a 'slip'-- a mixture of water and other clay. After firing, the shiny part shows through the duller, matte parts painted on it.

At Santa Clara Pueblo, where the local clay tended to be thicker and heavier, sometimes leading to broken pots during firing, potters started incising designs into the clay. That's probably what you're thinking of here.

In any case, there wasn't a 'glaze' used. Does it look like yours does in fact have a glaze?

 

Thank you for the great information on how they were made. This doesn't look like a glaze to my eyes. But I have been known to be wrong.

Mikey

 

That's a sweet piece of work, Mikey...thanks!