Polychrome Bowl Depicting Eight Abstract Motifs on Exterior 1200 - 1521

This bowl was created by an artist in Cholula, Mexico, using earthenware clay and polychrome paint. This pottery-making tradition would have involved digging and preparing the clay, forming the bowl by hand or using a mold, and then firing it in a kiln. The bowl's surface is an earthy orange-red, with a band of abstract motifs painted around the exterior. The designs are rendered in a dark brown and lighter orange-red, with the negative space filled in with white. The painted decorations, while abstract, may have had symbolic meanings within the Cholula culture. The creation of this bowl would have been a labor-intensive process, reflecting the skill and dedication of the potter and painter. Understanding the time and effort involved helps us appreciate the bowl's cultural and social significance, as it likely played a role in communal life. It challenges our modern distinction between art and craft, reminding us that functional objects can also be powerful forms of artistic expression.