Description (Labels & Markings)
Label adhered to base notes: ' No 145/89. Rec: Dec. '03. (64) On loan from J. E. Cree.
Event Date
Author: Diana Serediuc

Context (Field collection)
Collected by James Edward Cree and deposited at the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, possibly in 1903. Cree inherited the Angus V.V. Ranch in Lincoln County, New Mexico from his father (James Cree) in 1891 and moved there from Scotland the same year, returning to Scotland in 1902. Whilst the catalogue card (1948.247) notes that the collection was made 'early in the 20th century (before 1903)', it is therefore possible that some of the objects may have been collected or excavated in the 1890s whilst he was on the ranch.
Event Date 1891
Author: maa

Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for 1948.256 [A-B]: 'Two polychrome beakers, red and orange decoration, geometrical, on buff ground. Waisted form, with the lower part of body swollen. 1948.256 A. Is a tripod with hollow base. 1948.256 B. Flattened base.'
Event Date 1948
Author: maa

Context (Acquisition Details)
The Cree Collection was deposited by James Edward Cree with the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh until 1947. It was likely returned to the family before being offered for sale; Louis Clarke purchased some of the collection and donated it to MAA in 1948. The British Museum also has material collected by J.E. Cree, which it purchased from his daughter Irene Mabel Napier Cree in 1939. It is possible that it is she who sold the part of her father's collection that had previously been on deposit with the Royal Scottish Museum.
Event Date 1948
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Context (Amendments / updates)
Photographs of the Cree Collection offered for sale were sent by an MAA representative, probably Geoffrey Bushnell but possibly Louis Clarke, to Dr Deric O'Bryan (a.ka.a. Deric Nusbaum) of Gila Pueblo Archaeological Foundation for examination in 1947 or 1948. He replied with dates of individual objects, as well as an assessment of its provenance, which had been given as the Upper Gila, Salt River Valley, Arizona. In particular O'Bryan noted: 'I question Salt River Valley (Upper Gila area) as the source... my guess would be that the Cree collection came from Zuni Creek or perhaps the West Puerco' (see archive FR1/1/5). It is not clear why the Cree Collection was said to be from Salt River Valley, Arizona; there are no details regarding the objects' collection or excavation, and J.E. Cree's ranch was in New Mexico. When Bushnell published some of the Cree Collection in 'Ancient American Pottery' (1955), he noted they were likely from Zuni Creek. However, the two vessels, 1948.256 and 1948.256 B are of very different ware than the rest of the objects in the Cree collection and are possibly from Arizona region. Therefore the Place field has been left as 'Arizona; Salt River Valley; Upper Gila.'
Event Date 23/3/2025
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Description (Physical description)
Polychrome beaker with lower globular body. Wide mouth with everted simpler rim; long neck, slightly narrower than the mouth which flares to a globular body. Flat slightly rounded base. Buff slip on the interior and exterior; a red band on the interior of the rim; multiple panels with geometrical motif in orange and brown on the neck, with two horizontal lines in red and brown at the base of the neck; a thick red band on the body. Part of the rim and neck broken.
Event Date 24/3/2025
Author: Diana Serediuc

Description (Labels & Markings)
Paper label adhered to objects notes: 'E. 6'
Event Date 25/3/2025
Author: Diana Serediuc

Context (Amendments / updates)
In 1947 or 1948, when examining photos of the two vessels, which are now recorded as 1948.256 A and 1948.256 B, Dr Deric O'Bryan, according to the archive FR 1/1/, noted: 'Specimen 2: Beats me; historic Papago? and for the second pot, 'Specimen 6 (second row): looks like a companion of Print 2, specimen 2.' It is unknown which of the two is Specimen 2 or 6, but they are of similar ware. It is therefore likely that the two vessels come from Arizona, and not New Mexico as assumed for the other vessels in the Cree collection.
Event Date 25/3/2025
Author: Diana Serediuc