NEHMA | Collection

Juanita Shije

Native American, b. 1929

Olla
1986

Earthenware
8 x 10 x 10 in.
Gift of the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation
1986.75

Juanita Shije’s Olla is an unusual vessel, as it combines the ceramic traditions of her home, the Acoma Pueblo, and the traditions of her husband’s home, the Zia Pueblo. The whiteware body of Olla is consistent with the Acoma Pueblo tradition, but the unusual surface design of the double curvilinear band that winds around the center of the body is most consistent with Zia forms. Shije incorporates floral elements and stylized depictions of roadrunners, themes that are also much more common among the Zia. The design is bold, yet simple and uncluttered. Shije has altered the traditional form of olla vessels, rounding out the convex walls and creating a much larger opening than is typically seen. Juanita Shije is unusual among Zia potters for her use of greenware, or shaped clay that has not been bisque fired and is still pliable when the surface decoration is applied.

Matthew Limb

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