Antonio, Frederica – Five Color Water Jar with Basket Weave Designs

7"w x 5.5"h

$ 2,200.00

This is a complex painted water jar by Frederica Antonio.  The shape is a large water jar with a high shoulder and short neck.  The jar is painted in four sections from top to bottom.  There are four different designs, inspired by the weaving of baskets.  Two of the sections are black-on-white, painted with bee-weed (a plant).  One has an angular pattern while the other is an interwoven hooked design.  The two sections painted with color are more complex in style.  Again they are basket weave style but each side is painted multiple times.  First, she paints the horizontal lines, then the vertical ones.  She fills in the areas with the three different colors of clay slips and THEN paints over the edges again with the bee-weed so that the lines are more defined.  It is a much more time-consuming process, especially when you see all the small sections on each side.  However, the result is also more visually dynamic. The base of the jar is concave, reminiscent of historic Acoma jars that were carried on the head.  This combination of thin walls, creative shapes, and tightly painted design creates a piece that is unique and quite stunning!  The jar is signed on the bottom, “Frederica Antonio”.