This is a classic old-style four-color painted water jar by Robert Patricio.  It is a classic Acoma water jar shape with a wide shoulder and short sloping neck.  The design combines various traditional Acoma designs into one piece.  The heartline deer is depicted on both sides surrounded by plant designs.  To the sides of the deer are the classic “rainbirds” which are the swirls and are very delicately painted with hatchwork fine-lines.  There is a vertical band with cornfield designs painted in two different colors of red clay.  The designs are intricate and elegant and capture the classic style of Acoma pottery.  The jar is made from traditional Acoma clay and then painted with bee-weed (black) and two different red clay slips. The base is painted with red clay.  It is signed on the bottom, “R.  M.  Patricio”.  The jar is an exciting extension of his artistry in clay and continuing the amazing Acoma legacy. 

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