Three Dances Water Jar
1 of 4
Object Label
This water jar of classic Pueblo shape by Marcellus and Elizabeth Toya Medina, a husband and wife team, illustrates both the old and the new. Circling the jar, in the background, are depictions of traditional masked Kachinas who perform in religious ceremonies. Bursting into dance in front of these figures are naturalistic, muscled, male Pueblo dancers in very active dance positions, also wearing traditional regalia.
Caption
Elizabeth Toya Medina Walatowa (Jemez Pueblo), born 1956; Marcellus Medina Zia, born 1954. Three Dances Water Jar, ca. 1980. Clay, pigment, 6 1/4 x 7 1/2 in. (15.9 x 19.1 cm) Diameter at narrowest point: 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Joann and Sidney Rosoff, 2012.26.3. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.2012.26.3.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Potter
Artist
Title
Three Dances Water Jar
Date
ca. 1980
Medium
Clay, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
6 1/4 x 7 1/2 in. (15.9 x 19.1 cm) Diameter at narrowest point: 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)
Signatures
Signed, on bottom: "Elizabeth Medina"; glyph: "Marcellus Medina".
Credit Line
Gift of Joann and Sidney Rosoff
Accession Number
2012.26.3
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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Frequent Art Questions
This has a classic shape, but was it traditionally fired?
The wife of this husband and wife pair, Elizabeth Toya Medina, learned the art of traditional Zia pottery-making from her mother-in-law and still creates the forms of the pots by hand from homemade clay. She does utilize traditional Zia firing techniques.Thank you. I know quite a bit about traditional Puebla pottery and it was really hard to discern the firing technique especially because of their glaze technique which "appears" to be applied after firing. Do you know if it is?Elizabeth Medina typically applies a white slip to her vessels before firing to create a background for painted designs. She likely did the same in this case. However, just based on how bright the white is on that vessel, it was likely painted over after firing by Marcellus Medina.That makes sense. Thanks for the conversation!!
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