Jar with Diamond-Shaped Frames with Abstract Birds and Coiling Motifs Possibly 1280 - 1450

Curator: I find myself quite drawn to this vessel. Its elegant, curving form is visually striking and the geometric decorations immediately capture your attention. Editor: Yeah, there’s a playful simplicity about it. Almost childlike. The birds look a little like how I drew them when I was six – which gives them this whimsical feel, but grounded by those strong black lines and angular shapes. Curator: The Art Institute holds this ceramic jar, potentially crafted between 1280 and 1450, during the Casas Grandes period. The diamond-shaped frames enclosing the birds offer fascinating clues about their culture. Notice also the meticulous execution of the coiling motifs—demonstrating the artists’ deep knowledge and understanding of materials and processes. Editor: I like that you say "frames". Because when I look, my mind wants to unravel the picture plane, to stretch everything flat. But those diamond frames bring the painting back to an object, almost like a glimpse of the life held inside. Does that make sense? I wonder if the diamond shapes act like portals. Curator: Perhaps you're not far off, that jars can offer an entrance or point of contact. The bird is an image frequently used by this culture, with multiple levels of association. Birds have served for many civilizations as guides to another realm or plane, and so become associated with power and authority. Editor: What strikes me now is how incredibly modern it feels. If you stripped away the context, this could easily pass for something from the early 20th century. A ceramic object channeling the past through radical abstraction. Curator: This is what makes looking at art across centuries so engaging – it destabilizes fixed notions of progress. These visual vocabularies transcend linear history. This object reveals something quite poignant when it comes to how humanity continues to give order to our world. Editor: Absolutely, to look at something like this is like stumbling upon an echo of oneself from another lifetime, which then resonates into your sense of place today. I could gaze into this jar's markings forever!