Vintage Ceramic Southwestern Hopi Pueblo Model by JR Davis

A very heavy model of a Southwestern Native American Hopi Pueblo. The pueblo has three stories with a lot of detail. Little stairs or ladders connect lower areas to higher ones. Curiously, there is only a single person visible in the entire pueblo, climbing a ladder.

 

There is a large well in the middle of the pueblo, for which I’m not sure what it was. My original thought was that an insert might have originally been placed inside but there is no wear around the edges indicating that there was one. It could be used today to hold business cards or many objects on a desk.

 

The model is very heavy and covered with an off-white glaze. The clay, which is visible at areas that have chipped, is a deep red.  On the side of one lower wall is a rectangle surrounding the initials “jrd”. Below this is a copyright symbol with etched name jr davis. The model was made by the J. R. Davis Company in Eagle Nest, New Mexico. 

 

 

9” (22.9 cm) long x 6 7/8” (17.5 cm) deep x 2 3/4” (7.0 cm) tall. Weighs 5 lbs 4.2 oz (2385 g)

 

 

There are a few chips along the tops of several walls, as well as two corners. The glaze has a few scratches, particularly along the sides of the central patio. One of the corners is particularly cracked. The base shows significant wear from being slide on surfaces. The felt also shows some wear. The glaze is dirty, although at least some of this appears to have been applied onto the glaze to make it look more weathered.  The cracks, chipping and discoloration really do give a sense of authentic weathering – just like a real pueblo.