Zuni Olla Maidens strut their stuff at Gallup Ceremonial....so glad we had "front row seats".....
I absolutely treasure this Zuni beaded Olla Maiden with actual pottery olla on head by Zuni artist Doreen Nashboo....(this one I had to keep for myself!).....
I really can't even imagine balancing this on my head.....~LOL~
Olla Maidens are a favorite subject for Zuni carver Delbert Cachini....
"Zuni Girls at the River" is a late 1800's photo from the Edward S. Curtis collection, titled "Portraits from North American Indian Life"....I would imagine these ollas are very heavy filled with water from the river....
The "Zuni Olla Maidens" at one of their many performances across the country promote knowledge about the Zuni culture, as well as provide fascinating entertainment....
As I was dusting some of my pueblo pottery today, I had this image in my head of the Zuni Olla Maidens skillfully balancing the large "ollas" on their heads....not just the olla, but traditionally, the olla filled with water from the spring or stream, or food that had been gathered. I have always heard that ever since pottery has been made, that someone, somewhere has balanced it on their head....but it is the Zuni women that are best known for this unusual and talented trait! I remember marveling at the Zuni Olla Maidens when I was a little girl attending Gallup Ceremonial....here were these women walking blocks in the parade balancing huge ollas on their heads! I could not manage that standing still, let alone walking in procession along a parade route in front of 1000's of spectators! I still am in awe of the whole thing each time we see the Olla Maidens....it is so impressive! A group of women from Zuni, headed by Cornelia Bowannie have formed a dance group called the "Zuni Olla Maidens" that travel the country performing at important events. The Zuni Olla Maidens are known for the Pottery dance. Dancing to the beat of the drum, they move in choreographed steps with delicate pottery jars balanced on their heads. They also sing songs adapted from the men of the Zuni tribe while accompanying themselves with a drum, a woman’s rattle and a notched wooden instrument called a “frog box”. So, when I finished dusting the pottery, I toyed with the idea of trying to balance one of our ollas on my head...even glanced up at some of our rattles hanging from the beams, and tried to imagine placing the olla on my head and shaking a rattle and dancing(!) at the same time...Well, since I am the person who can't chew gum and walk at the same time....these thoughts quickly vanished...but they did give me an even greater appreciation and respect for these wonderful women from Zuni....past and present...who are known as "Zuni Olla Maidens".
