sikyatkipolychrome

TYPE: Sikyatki Polychrome

DATE: A.D. 1400 to 1625 (Dittert Jr., and Plog, 1980;109)

COMMON DESIGNS: Early styles are generally geometric while later examples become more free and open, occasionally with curvilinear motifs. Complicated geometric styles occur also.

TEMPER: Many painted Jeddito Wares appear not to have any temper added, even under high magnification. Wade and McChesney state: "However, ethnographic accounts of ancient manufacturing techniques collected by Thomas Keam in the 1880s and 1890s suggest that Sikyatki and San Bernardo Polychromes may, in fact, be tempered (Stephen n.d., quoted in Wade and McChesney 1980, pg 96). Nineteeth-century informants indicated that potters low-fired plaques of white clay, then ground them to the consistency of flour. This was added to the unfired white clay paste used to form a vessel. Temper this fine would be hard to detect visually, would produce a stronger pot through its high-quality distribution within the vessel, and would still allow for a smoother polishing and painting surface than either conventional sand or sherd tempering." (Wade and McChesney, 1981;20). Occasionally some painted Jeddito Wares may have large rounded quartz grains visible on the surface and throughout the paste, the same can be said for large red angular fragments, although vessels that show visible temper are somewhat rare.

KEY DIFFERENCES: Red and black paint on a yellow background. Occasionally, usually on later examples, other shades of red, orange, yellow and black may be added giving the vessel four or more colors.

1N Sikyatki Polychrome Bowl

2N Sikyatki Polychrome Bowl

3N Sikyatki Polychrome Jar

4N Sikyatki Polychrome Bowl with "Splattered" Interior.

5N Sikyatki Polychrome Large Olla

6N Sikyatki Polychrome Parrot Effigy

7N Sikyatki Polychrome Large Olla

8Y Sikyatki Polychrome Jar with visible Quartz temper.

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

9N Sikyatki Polychrome Olla with painted butterflies, arrows, and "stars" at the top.

Note the "fletching" painted at the end of the arrows, done in a lighter shade of black.

This lighter shade of black may represent transparency thru the fletching.

Approximate Dimensions: 11 3/8" by 7 3/4"

10N Sikyatki Polychrome Bowl painted with orange paint instead of

red, likely for a more accurate depictiion of an orange squash blossom.

Approximate Dimensions: 10 1/2" by 4 1/4"

11N Sikyatki Polychrome Ladle

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

12N Sikyatki Polychrome Large Bowl

Approximate Dimensions: 14" by 7"

This page last revised: 05/21/2012

We welcome your linking to our site, however all documents, webpages, photographs and images are the property of the www.rarepottery.info. Written permission is required to copy, download or use any text, photographs or image files. Contact: rarepotteryinfo@aol.com

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	TYPE: Sikyatki Polychrome DATE: A.D. 1400 to 1625 (Dittert Jr., and Plog, 1980;109) COMMON DESIGNS: Early styles are generally geometric while later examples become more free and open, occasionally with curvilinear motifs. Complicated geometric styles occur also. TEMPER: Many painted Jeddito Wares appear not to have any temper added, even under high magnification. Wade and McChesney state: "However, ethnographic accounts of ancient manufacturing techniques collected by Thomas Keam in the 1880s and 1890s suggest that Sikyatki and San Bernardo Polychromes may, in fact, be tempered (Stephen n.d., quoted in Wade and McChesney 1980, pg 96). Nineteeth-century informants indicated that potters low-fired plaques of white clay, then ground them to the consistency of flour. This was added to the unfired white clay paste used to form a vessel. Temper this fine would be hard to detect visually, would produce a stronger pot through its high-quality distribution within the vessel, and would still allow for a smoother polishing and painting surface than either conventional sand or sherd tempering." (Wade and McChesney, 1981;20). Occasionally some painted Jeddito Wares may have large rounded quartz grains visible on the surface and throughout the paste, the same can be said for large red angular fragments, although vessels that show visible temper are somewhat rare. KEY DIFFERENCES: Red and black paint on a yellow background. Occasionally, usually on later examples, other shades of red, orange, yellow and black may be added giving the vessel four or more colors. 1N Sikyatki Polychrome Bowl 2N Sikyatki Polychrome Bowl 3N Sikyatki Polychrome Jar 4N Sikyatki Polychrome Bowl with "Splattered" Interior. 5N Sikyatki Polychrome Large Olla 6N Sikyatki Polychrome Parrot Effigy 7N Sikyatki Polychrome Large Olla 8Y Sikyatki Polychrome Jar with visible Quartz temper. Approximate Dimensions: 5 1/8" by 3 1/2" 9N Sikyatki Polychrome Olla with painted butterflies, arrows, and "stars" at the top. Note the "fletching" painted at the end of the arrows, done in a lighter shade of black. This lighter shade of black may represent transparency thru the fletching. Approximate Dimensions: 11 3/8" by 7 3/4" 10N Sikyatki Polychrome Bowl painted with orange paint instead of red, likely for a more accurate depictiion of an orange squash blossom. Approximate Dimensions: 10 1/2" by 4 1/4" 11N Sikyatki Polychrome Ladle Approximate Dimensions: 8 3/8" by 4 3/4" by 2 1/2" 12N Sikyatki Polychrome Large Bowl Approximate Dimensions: 14" by 7" This page last revised: 05/21/2012 Copyright: 2005- 2012 All Rights Reserved. We welcome your linking to our site, however all documents, webpages, photographs and images are the property of the www.rarepottery.info. Written permission is required to copy, download or use any text, photographs or image files. Contact: rarepotteryinfo@aol.com