Hopi Pueblo Seed Jar Pottery By Elva Nampeyo

ca.  1970

4" H x 7" D

Hand Coiled with Classic Form with Migration Design which was the Nampeyo Family's Trademark Design

In Very Good Condition with only Very Minor Paint Wear as Pictured and is Typical for this Period

Elva Nampeyo (also known as Elva Tewaguna) was a respected Hopi-Tewa potter from the Corn Clan on First Mesa. She was the daughter of Fannie Polacca Nampeyo (1900–1987) and granddaughter of the legendary Nampeyo of Hano (c. 1859–1942), who revived and popularized ancient Sikyátki-style pottery in the late 19th/early 20th century.

Elva learned the craft within this renowned family tradition. She specialized in black-and-red-on-yellow (polychrome) bowls and jars, often featuring classic Hopi designs such as the migration pattern (a continuous, flowing motif of feathers, birds, or abstract elements symbolizing the Hopi people's legendary migrations) and eagle or bird motifs. Her work is typically signed "Elva Nampeyo" on the bottom. She produced pottery from at least the 1950s through the 1970s–80s, maintaining the traditional coiling, painting, and pit-firing methods.