The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 25, 2024
Water Jar (Olla)
1880s
Overall: 26.5 x 37.5 cm (10 7/16 x 14 3/4 in.)
Gift of the Smithsonian Institution 1923.1082
Location: 231 Native North American
Description
The underside of this Zuni (A:shiwi) jar (olla), made by a woman to collect and store water in the 1800s, curves upward to allow the jar to be carried atop the head. Today, this traditional skill is celebrated by the Zuni Olla Maidens, a nationally known dance group that performs while balancing ollas on their heads. Ollas naturally keep water cool via evaporation through their porous walls, a valuable trait in the desert Southwest. Many Zuni say that water from an olla tastes better than water from a tap.- The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 407 archive.orgCleveland Museum of Art, and Jenifer Neils. The World of Ceramics: Masterpieces from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: Museum in cooperation with Indiana University Press, 1982. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 80, no. 85
- The World of Ceramics: Masterpieces from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 20-August 22, 1982).
- {{cite web|title=Water Jar (Olla)|url=false|author=|year=1880s|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1923.1082