Mimbres I
The photos included in this post are of Mimbres and Anasazi pottery, in the collection of a friend of mine in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Mimbres Pottery (top photo)(from Wikipedia):
The pottery produced in the Mimbres region, often finely painted bowls, is distinct in style and is decorated with geometric designs and figurative paintings of animals, people and cultural icons in black paint on a white background. Some of these images suggest familiarity and relationships with cultures in northern and central Mexico. The elaborate decoration indicates that these people enjoyed a rich ceremonial life. Early Mimbres Black and White, called Boldface Black-on-White (now called Mimbres Style I), is primarily characterized by bold geometic designs, although there are also a few early examples of human and animal figures. Over time, both geometric and figurative designs became increasingly sophisticated and diverse. Classic Mimbres Black-on-White pottery (Style III) is characterized by elaborate geometric designs, refined brushwork, including very fine linework, and may include figures of one or more animals, humans, or other images bounded either by simple rim bands or by geometric decoration. Birds figure prominently on Mimbres pots, including images such as turkeys feeding on insects and a man trapping birds in a garden; fish are also common.
Mimbres bowls are often found associated with burials, typically with a hole punched out of the center. Most commonly Mimbres bowls have been found covering the face of the interred person. Wear marks on the insides of bowls show they were actually used, not just produced as burial items.
Mimbres pottery is so distinctive that until fairly recently, the end of its production around A.D. 1130-1150 was equated with the “disappearance” of the people who made it. More recent research indicates that substantial depopulation did occur in the Mimbres Valley, but some remnant populations persisted there. Both there and in surrounding areas, people changed their pottery styles to more closely resemble those of neighboring culture areas, and dispersed into other residential sites with different types of architecture.
Note: When a pot was no longer used and was ready to be discarded, a hole was punched in the bottom, ritually “killing” the pot, as can be seen here (patched). (Tom)
Anasazi I
- Anasazi II
