This is a distinctive water jar with complex traditional designs by Robert Patricio.  He is known for his classic forms and use of both traditional and pre-historic imagery.  This water jar is coil-built and thin-walled. The design is a classic “lightning” design often seen on Acoma pottery.  Robert has added red and orange clay slips to contrast with the fine-line areas. The rows of designs get larger at the shoulder and smaller at the rim and base. The flow of the design on the shape of the jar almost makes it look as if one is seeing the lightning strike in a cloudy sky. The shape of the jar has an indented shoulder where it curves downward and up to the neck.  Technically it is a difficult form to make to create and not have it crack in drying.  Robert is certainly one of the leading traditional Acoma potters working today, as evidenced by his stunning forms and complementary designs.  The jar is signed on the bottom, “R. M. Patricio”.

Robert said recently of his pottery:

““The pottery inspires me to keep going.  Keeping the tradition alive in making pottery, that’s how we were brought up.  Our ancestors started making pottery.  It’s amazing what comes of a piece of clay. When you come to Acoma it’s peacuful and quite.  When you look a piece of pottery, you see the same peacefulness.”   Robert Patricio, 2020