This incredible bowl C. 1100AD measures 6.4" in diameter is without question one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Mesa Verde ceramic bowl extant.

In order to fully understand the magnitude of this bowl one has to understand that the Mesa Verde culture virtually never included images of animals on their ceramics. If they did it was generally one image, sometimes indistinct, and was not the predominate feature of the piece. Two quote one dealer who has been in the business for over 30 years and has seen tens of thousands of pieces "Mesa Verde never put animals on their pottery. This bowl had to have been made for a very special reason - things had to have been bad with the hunts and they probably created this to enrich the hunts. I have never seen anything like it."

The bowl has a horn toad image in the bottom and around the inside images of 27, yes, 27 deer. If that was not enough there are additional 13 deer images on the exterior for a total of 40 deer!

When we purchased this bowl there was a crack that had been filled with Elmer’s glue. We have had a professional conservator remove the glue and the crack has been naturally closed and properly glued. The crack was further cleaned with hydrogen peroxide to help deemphasize the darker carbon core in the crack. A light trace of wood ash was also worked into the crack to soften its appearance. This can be removed with acetone in under five minutes if the new owner wishes.

With respect to condition, the bowl is intact without the addition of plaster or paint. The bowl was once in the collection of Ed Harris who is recognized as the greatest collector of prehistoric Native American ceramics.

This piece is destined for a collector or the institution that recognizes the true special nature of the bowl, it's rarity and innate beauty. A restoration report will be provided to the purchaser along with the other normal paperwork.