Hopi Pueblo Pottery By Ellamae Tolashie

Late 20th Century

2.25" H x 4.5" D

Hand Coiled from Red Clay and with Painted Black Geometric Design

In Very Good Condition

Ella Mae Talashie (also spelled Ellamae Tolashie or similar variations) was a respected Hopi potter from Walpi Village on First Mesa in the Hopi Pueblo region of northeastern Arizona. Born in 1921 and passing in 1995, she was the daughter of Gary Talashie and married Clyde Ami in 1940. Although she raised a family, she became active in pottery-making primarily in the 1970s, producing traditional Hopi polychrome pottery.

Hopi pottery, including her work, is renowned for its polychrome style—featuring red, black, and cream/buff colors derived from natural clay slips and mineral pigments. Pieces are hand-coiled (not wheel-thrown), stone-polished, painted with yucca leaf brushes using designs inspired by ancient Sikyatki Revival motifs (geometric patterns, birds, feathers, migration symbols, and fire clouds from the outdoor firing process), and traditionally fired in open pits.