A Stunning Santo Domingo Water Jar, 19th Century

Santo Domingo

Clay | Item 2172

This is an incredible water jar, in shape, design and age. It checks all the boxes for being one of the best Santo Domingo jars that I have ever seen. The shape is beautifully curvaceous. The gradual widening base flexes out to its maximum width about 2/3 the way up the jar. Here the full width cuts in with an almost horizontal shoulder to meet the bottom of the neck. The neck reaches up another 2″ into a flaring rim. The high shoulder is such a satisfying part of its shape. It’s like a landing zone to rest the eyes.

The design to void ratio is such that the spaces are clearly understood with the voids dominating the jar. The body is separated into 7, equal sections denoted by vertical ovals outlined in jet black paint. Each oval is separated by a fine, vertical void line that has a break at the oval’s midpoint. The energetic quality created by these line breaks elevates the jar to a highly powerful visual experience. The neck has a completely different design element, that being two, undulating lines of various thickness dancing together into 5 equal spaces. This contained, horizontal dance is the perfect complement to the ovals below. This dance ends with two, circulating bands at the top of the rim. The under body is painted red, with a darker red band at the top of the underbody . The base is indented for carrying on the head.