Black-on-red with White Outlining Hopi Canteen [R]

Collectors of contemporary pottery today are very interested in purchasing pieces that are signed by the artist. This was not true in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was sufficient to select a piece based on its personal appeal to the potential collector. Most of the late 19th and early 20th century pieces are not identified with a particular potter.

There is an exception in the case of two Hopi potters of note—Nampeyo of Hano and her eldest daughter Annie Healing Nampeyo. Nampeyo became famous not only because she was an outstanding artisan, but because the Fred Harvey Company housed her and her family in the Hopi House at the Grand Canyon in the summers of the early 1900s, where she demonstrated pottery making and sold her wares. It is well known that Annie collaborated with her mom in the early part of the century. She also made pottery herself, although precious little recognition was given to her in those early days.

Fortunately, collectors for some of the major museums did document collections by artist name at the time. Collections of the Peabody Museum at Harvard, the University of Oslo, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Smithsonian do contain documented vessels by Healing. It is from these documented pieces that we are able to make comparisons today and attribute pieces to the hands of Annie Healing.

It is well documented that she created highly polished red wares with black and white painting. Her preference for designs was large bold elements that stand singly on the surface of the pot such as this bold design on the face of the canteen.

Nampeyo is known to have made canteens as well and she traditionally put the spout of the canteen in a slight upward turn from horizontal.  This canteen has the upturned spout which leaves the possibility that the canteen was made by Nampeyo herself, painted by Annie or just made and painted by Annie.  We have made the attribution to Annie alone but it is certainly feasible that Nampeyo made it.

Condition: excellent condition

Recommended Reading: Nampeyo and Her Pottery by Barbara Kramer.  This book is currently not available from Adobe Gallery

Provenance: from a gentleman from Florida