This is a tightly painted, very large jar by Robert Patricio.  He is known for his classic forms and use of both traditional and pre-historic imagery.  This wide jar is coil-built and thin-walled. The piece is entitled “Songs of the Rain”.  It is painted with bee-weed (black) to create the designs.   There is a lightning design across the surface of the jar with thin lines.  The little “swirls” are stylized birds.  Robert said that this jar tells of the “songs of the rain” as birds are singing when the rain is falling.  Note how his designs are smaller at the neck and get larger at the shoulder, matching the shape of the jar! The jar has both an ancient and yet modern appearance.  Robert is one of the leading traditional Acoma potters working today, 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