A vessel holds liquid, grains, blessings. It is woven from twigs or grasses; it is crafted in clay, glass, wood, metal, paper. From the time that early human beings began gathering food and fuel, vessels were constructed as tools. And now, the contemporary world is filled with vessels . . . from non-utilitarian art pieces to plastic milk jugs. Our vessels reveal a great deal about our society and our values. When looking at a vessel form, contemporary or ancient, consider its function. Is it, or was it, utilitarian, ceremonial, aesthetic? By inventing your own dialogue with an ancient or a contemporary vessel, you may come closer to understanding the creator: a basketmaker, a pueblo craftsman, an ancient Mayan artist, a contemporary glassblower, metal spinner, ceramist or woodcarver.

Clay

Ancient basketry eventually led to vessels of clay. Clay vessels and shards that date to 100 AD have been found in the southwest and identified from the Early Pithouse period or the Mogollon I period. This time frame coincides with the Basketmaker and Basketmaker I periods. The pieces can be divided into two general categories: coarse-tempered utility ware and finer-textured service ware. The earliest pieces discovered are generally plain grey-bodied, though later pots reveal ornamental details applied to functional vessels. The coiled pots and shards are often patterned with indentations or painted geometric designs and later figurative designs.

The plastic quality of clay provides unlimited creative possibilities in vessel design; and yet, certain recognizable traditions are identified and categorized by their similarities in technique and design. Archaeologists have used this information to trace the technological advances of the southwest`s early people. The Mimbres bowls, identified by their figurative designs of animals and birds, have been uncovered in graves where a bowl would be placed over the head of the deceased.

Archaeologists believe that a hole was punched in the pot to allow the person`s spirit to ascend. The holes rarely interfere with the decorative surface design. This example demonstrates the multi-level function of the vessel: it provided its owner with the means to gather water or to store grain, it provided a canvas for artistic expression and it served a ceremonial function. Today, it provides a physical record of an ancient culture.

It is likely that the pueblo pottery tradition stems from these ancient people. Originally, storage vessels provided a key to survival, storing foodstuffs during droughts and long winter months. Today, the production of beautiful functional and non-utilitarian vessels, with respect for ancient traditions, provides many pueblo people with the means of economic and spiritual survival in contemporary society.

Seed Jars

There are many forms and functions in pueblo pottery. Seed jars were designed with tiny openings to protect seeds from rodents and other damage during the winter. Early Mimbres examples date from 400 AD. Often jar openings were capped with corn cobs or sealed with slip. During the spring planting, the farmers carried the seed jars into the fields and shook out the seeds; or in the case of slip sealed jars, broke the vessels to distribute the seeds. These early examples were not highly ornate, like the contemporary seed pot shown at left.

These seed jars no longer serve the economic purpose of effective seed storage; rather, the seed jar symbolizes pueblo tribal heritage. According to Ruth Reidy, owner of Penfield Gallery of Indian Arts in Albuquerque, the last ten years have seen increased collector interest in the seed pots with their functional symbolism.

This interest has been met by a variety of designs and treatments of the pottery surface. The jar is constructed as two coiled hemispheres sealed together with slip. There is no line on the pot, no way to detect where the two halves come together. According to Reidy, one would have to break the pot to see the inner seam. The size, shape and placement of the seed holes are determined by the potter. Without the hole, the pot would likely explode during the firing. The potters of Acoma Pueblo are renowned for their distinctive fine-line painted seed jars. Traditionally, the Acoma potters rub the pots with white slip and paint black geometric designs with a yucca brush.

The great popularity of the pottery has encouraged Acoma artisans to revive prehistoric pottery styles, such as the Mimbres figurative design, and to experiment with polychrome.

Other Vessels--Other Materials
Different Values

As a modern society, we create vessels for storage. Most often these disposable vessels are manufactured to hold a gallon of milk or a supply of breakfast cereal. Our technology has done away with the need for the ceramic olla to store a family`s harvest of corn. Nonetheless, contemporary artists continue to produce unique vessels for functional purposes.

Often, today`s artists are caught between the desire to express themselves creatively and the need to make a living. Functional "production" ware forms the backbone of the business of most artist/craftsmen who make a living from their work. Nancy Berg, Albuquerque ceramist, creates both production vessels for daily use as well as one-of-a-kind and limited-edition art pieces. She uses production work to do problem solving. Skills, honed through repetition, allow the creative ideas to be brought to fruition. According to Berg, high quality production vessels and other tableware, made efficiently with a caring, artistic hand and eye, provide the bridge that meets the needs of the artist to make a living and of the individual to own handmade objects that sweeten life.

While throughout history vessels have served utilitarian purposes of storage, most traditions also pay close attention to the aesthetic of design, form fitting the function. Whether the surface of the vessel is ornamented simply or elaborately, it reflects the values of the culture that has created it. It has economic value as a tool to improve the quality of life--the vessel that holds a large volume of water decreases the number of trips to the river. But it must also maintain an aesthetic standard that reinforces certain cultural beliefs, such as the universal order carved and painted on a Northwest Coast cedar chest.

A vessel`s ceremonial function often adds to its cultural worth. The chalice pays honor to the deity, the royal silver pays honor to the king and queen, the fetish bowl promises a successful hunt. Choice of materials reflect the culture`s concept of wealth, often the most precious, most difficult to obtain resources are employed. Contemporary vessels often challenge our assumptions about utilitarian value, material value and spiritual worth. Perhaps one function of these "non-functional" vessels is to call into question our modern predisposition to create vessels for mass consumption and easy disposal.
Finally, your home is really the ultimate vessel . . . a place of function and of beauty that protects and stores your family and your possessions; a vessel whose interior and exterior surfaces reflect your personal interests, values and culture.