Hopi Bowl Pottery By Nampeyo of Hano

ca 1910

2.625" H x 7.625" D

White Slate Like Clay with Hand Painted Orange and Dark Brown Geometric Designs with Fire Clouds and a Loop Hole in the Back for Hanging 

In Very Good Condition with Light Aged Wear

Nampeyo of Hano (c. 1858–1942), often simply called Nampeyo, was one of the most influential Native American potters of the 20th century, renowned for reviving ancient Hopi pottery traditions while living on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. Born in the Hopi-Tewa village of Hano on First Mesa, she was the daughter of a Hopi-Tewa mother, White Corn, and a Hopi father, Quootsva, from the nearby village of Walpi. Nampeyo learned utilitarian pottery in the Tewa style from her mother and later incorporated Hopi decorative techniques after marrying Lesso (or Lesou), a Hopi man from Walpi. Her work bridged Tewa and Hopi traditions, but she became famous for her Sikyatki Revival style, inspired by pottery fragments from the ancient Hopi village of Sikyatki (abandoned around 1500 CE). In 1895, Nampeyo visited excavations at Sikyatki with her husband, sketching designs from unearthed sherds to recreate them on her vessels. Even before this, trader Thomas Keam encouraged her interest in ancient forms, which she deemed superior to contemporary pottery. As her eyesight declined in later years, Nampeyo collaborated closely with her family, focusing on forming vessels while her daughters painted the designs.

Provenance:  From the Len and Toni Wood Private Collection, Laguna Beach, California