Rain God Effigy Vessel

Raom God Effigy Vessel, Pueblo,New Mexico

This rain god effigy comes from the Tesuque Pueblo people who reside just north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. This type of pottery became popular in the 1880’s when the railroad system was introduced to New Mexico. The merchant Jake Gold is thought to be responsible for the creation and distribution of these figures. Gold worked with the potters of the Tesuque people to come up with an idea for a piece of material culture that would be portable and appealing to tourists and the curio trade market. The buying and selling aspect of this market was heavily run by men, while the production of the objects was largely female driven. This is an example of the ways in which gender affected labor in this time period.