TYPE: Red Mesa Black-on-White

DATE: A.D. 950 to 1050 (Oppelt 2008;38)

BOWL DESIGN PLACEMENT: Primary interior designs, occasionally secondary exterior designs.

COMMON DESIGNS:  Red Mesa has design variability. Designs are usually banded and can be much busier than earlier types, simple designs are common also.  Common design motifs include most early styles of hatching, such as wavy line, parallel horizontal and diagonal; elongated solids (including ticked, wavy edged, and dotted elongated solids), and others.  Common design motifs include scrolls (interlocking, non-interlocking, conjoined), and keys.  The rims are usually painted. Jar and pitcher designs are usually double banded with a blank space in between the two bands of design, but all-over designs also occur.

KEY DIFFERENCES: The linework can be thick or thin, and may even be thick and thin on the same vessel. Designs are usually banded, double, or multi-banded and sophisticated compared to earlier types. Wavy edged solids, and solids connected to interlocking scrolls are diagnostic.

SLIP OR SURFACE TREATMENT: Usually slipped (often chalky) and polished, some examples not slipped and not well polished.

OTHER COMMON TYPES WITH SIMILAR DESIGN STYLES:

Tusayan Whiteware: Black Mesa Black-on-White (vegetal paint)

Little Colorado Whiteware: Holbrook A Black-on-White (vegetal paint, "dark paste")

Mesa Verde Whiteware: Cortez Black-on-White (mostly mineral, some vegetal paint)

VARIETIES:

Slipped

Unslipped

 

 

1N Red Mesa Large Black-on-White Olla

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2Y Anasazi/Mogollon Red Mesa (early) Black-on-White Bowl

Approx. 8 5/8" by 4 1/8"

 

 

 

3Y Anasazi/Mogollon Red Mesa Black-on-White Bowl

with a mythical being holding something in its hand.

Approximate Dimensions: 7 3/4" by 3 1/2"

 

 

 

4Y Anasazi/Mogollon Red Mesa Black-on-White Variant Bowl with corrugated exterior.

Approximate Dimensions: 6 3/4" by 3 1/2"

 

 

 

5Y Anasazi/Mogollon Red Mesa Black-on-White Bowl

with Katsina "eyes" painted inside, possibly representing masks.

Approximate Dimensions: 11 1/2" by 5 1/8"

 

 

6N Anasazi/Mogollon Red Mesa Black-on-White Bowl

Approximate Dimensions: 7 3/4" by 3"

 

 

7N Anasazi/Mogollon Red Mesa Black-on-White Bowl

with a spot of shiny substance in the bottom, possibly Gallina.

Approximate Dimensions: 10" by 3 7/8"

 

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8Y Red Mesa Black-on-White Miniature Pitcher with a bear paw print painted on the bottom.

Approximate Dimensions: 2" by 1 5/8"

 

   

9Y Red Mesa Black-on-White Knobbed Miniature Pitcher

Approximate Dimensions: 2 1/2" by 2 1/2"

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10Y Red Mesa Black-on-White Stylized Duck Effigy Pitcher with Bird Tracks. 

The bird tracks even  have toenails. This vessel has thick wavy lines and thin parallel lines that connect continuously around the neck and the body of the vessel. The thick wavy lines, bird tracks, and wavy edged solids are characteristic of Red Mesa Style, while the connected

parallel thin lines are characteristic of Kiatuthlanna Style.

Approximate Dimensions: 7" by 6 1/2"

 

 

11Y Red Mesa Black-on-White Pitcher with a Frog Effigy on the handle.

Approximate Dimensions: 7" by 6 1/2"

 

 

 

 

12Y Red Mesa Black-on-White Stylized Bird Pitcher

This piece has quartz temper protruding thru the surface.

Approximate Dimensions: 5" by 4 7/8" by 3 3/4"

 

 

13Y Red Mesa Black-on-White Pitcher Miniature Bird Effigy.

Approximate Dimensions: 3 1/4" by 2 1/2"

 

 

14Y Red Mesa Black-on-White Bird Effigy

Approximate Dimensions: 3 1/2" by 2 1/2" by 2 1/2"

 

 

15Y Red Mesa Black-on-White Stylized Bird Effigy.

Approximate Dimensions: 2 3/8" by 2 1/4"

 

 

16Y Red Mesa Black-on-White Gourd Effigy Pitcher.

Approximate Dimensions: 4" by 3 1/2"

 

 

17N Red Mesa Black-on-White Pitcher

A very interesting pitcher with a basket effigy handle and a coiled snake with a triangular head,

its body in the basket and its head resting on the rim of the pitcher.

Approximate Dimensions: 3 5/8" by 3 1/2"

 

 

 

18N Red Mesa Black-on-White Unique Triple Bird Effigy Eccentric Vessel

Approximate Dimensions: 4 3/4" by 3 3/8" by 2 3/8"

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19N Red Mesa Black-on-White

 

 

20Y Red Mesa Black-on-White Stirrup Spout Canteen.

Approximate Dimensions: 9 3/4" by 7 3/4"

 

 

 

21N Red Mesa Black-on-White Double Handled Pitcher

Approximate Dimensions: 4 7/8" by 4"

 

 

22N Red Mesa Black-on-White Canteen with a snake painted near the top.

Approximate Dimensions: 6" by 5 1/2"

 

23N Red Mesa Black-on-White Ladle that appears not to have white slip.

Approximate Dimensions: 4 7/8" by 2 3/4" by 1 1/4"

 

24N Red Mesa Black-on-White Seed Jar

Most of the lower design is eroded away, it is a shame this

piece wasn't recovered 100 years earlier.

Approximate Dimensions: 4 1/8" by 2"

 

 

25Y Anasazi/Mogollon Red Mesa Black-on-White Three-Shouldered Jar (banded design).

Approximate Dimensions: 5 1/2" by 4"

 

26Y Anasazi/Mogollon Red Mesa Black-on-White Square Bowl.

Approximate Dimensions: 4 1/4" by 3 7/8" by 2 3/8"

 

This page last revised: 12/04/2011

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