Hopi Pueblo Painted Large Ladle/Spoon By Nampeyo of Hano

ca. 1915

2.5" H x 7.375" L x 5" W

Hand Coiled from Polychrome Clay with Terracotta Colors on the Handle and Rim with a Painted Geometric Design in the Bowl of the Ladle and a Fire Cloud ("Old Lady")

From a Private Colorado Collection

In Very Good Condition

Nampeyo of Hano (also known as Old Lady Nampeyo, c. 1859–1942) was a renowned Hopi-Tewa potter from the village of Hano (Tewa Village) on First Mesa in Arizona. She is widely credited with leading the Sikyátki Revival, a late-19th-century movement that revived ancient Hopi polychrome pottery techniques and designs from the 14th–16th centuries (pre-Spanish contact). 

She drew inspiration from excavated sherds of Sikyátki ware, adapting bold geometric motifs (such as eagle tails, migration patterns, feathers, and abstract elements), fine-line hatching, and low-fired polychrome slips (often yellow, red, black, and white) to create elegant, thin-walled vessels. Nampeyo was both a skilled coil-builder and painter; her work gained international fame through trading posts, Fred Harvey Company promotions, world’s fairs, and tourist visits. She influenced generations of potters, including her daughters (like Annie, Fannie, and Nellie) and many descendants who continue the tradition today.