This small Acoma canteen is a jewel. With a flat back and bulbous body in front, the canteen was designed to tip forward while suspended from a carrying strap, much the same as the larger Acoma canteens' layout and design of the same period. With the advent of the railroads to the Southwest, Acoma potters began to make traditional pottery in a form suitable for those visitors traveling. This small canteen is a clear example. 

The canteen's patina is beautiful and condition is excellent. The bottom (or back, in the case of a canteen) is red, framed by two narrow bands. The curvilinear design swoops the eye up to the spout, enhanced by the central vertical column surrounded on each side by curvilnear leaf and flower designs. The canteen has an old Pueblo carrying strap still attached. The strap is finely woven with only a few missing stitches. This is a rarely found feature and it enhances the value of the canteen.