Wedding Jar

c. 1900

Wedding Jar, c. 1900. Southwest, Pueblo, Santa Clara, Post-Contact, 20th century. Ceramic; overall: 15.5 x 21.5 cm (6 1/8 x 8 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Horatio Ford 1933.16 At Santa Clara Pueblo, the double-spouted wedding jar is made not only to sell but also for use during its namesake ceremony, when the bride and groom drink from opposite spouts. The origin of the unusual form is unclear; once considered a modern innovation, it may instead be an ancient form revived in the late 1800s, perhaps in response to market forces that tourism set in play. This example is made from the black ware for which Santa Clara potters are known.