Thursday, February 8, 2018

Super Bowls

-by Anne C. Morgan, Head Archivist/Curator


In honor of Super Bowl Sunday we asked our Facebook followers which of these two ceramic bowls they liked better and promised to give you some details on the winner.  Our local ceramic bowl received the most 'likes' but let's face it: unlike in a Super Bowl game, we're all winners here. So here's a couple of fun facts about these two super bowls.

Ceramic bowl on display in IVDM permanent exhibit
This bowl is on display permanently in the museum's ceramics exhibit.  Found locally along what would have been part of the Lake Cahuilla shoreline, it has small clay 'buttons' along the bowl's neck- possibly for decoration.  It's large mouth probably means it was mainly used to store items- from food like seeds or nuts to fibers that would make nets, clothes, or shoes.



This black ceramic is an example of Chimu pottery, from Peru.  According to Dr. David Breeckner, who has done some research on this vessel, the Chimer Kingdom lasted from about 900-1532 C.E. (Common Era).  It was probably made using a mold: "Molds were made from fired clay that had been formed over an existing object by pressing clay around {[the sample pot] . . .cutting the clay into two, and then removing the two halves."  If you came out to the museum in September/October, you saw this pot in a temporary "Ceramics of the Americas" exhibit.