Christine McHorse Navajo Micaceous Pottery Jar [SOLD]

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Christine Nofchissey McHorse, Diné of the Navajo Nation Potter

Artist Signature of Christine McHorse, Diné of the Navajo NationThis pottery vessel by Diné of the Navajo Nation artist Christine McHorse was hand coiled into a thin walled, naturally shaped piece.  The clay is very micaceous and glimmers from every angle.  It is warm, inviting and looked at one way— a seed point from which the artist later sprung into more complex places and ideas when it came to the creation of pottery.

Smooth, flawless, and warm—this jar glistens with expertise.  There is a perfection to its form, and a rarity in its simplicity.  McHorse began making pottery in her late 20s at Taos Pueblo, taught the ceramic traditions by her husband's grandmother.  Eventually, she began expanding her visions and created a large body of pottery that encompassed both Navajo legends and her own interpretive and sophisticated ideas for vessel forms.  It is these abstract and complex forms for which she is well known, which makes this jar something even more special. 

This jar gives one the opportunity to experience a very radical and outstanding artist’s creation but in the simplest of forms.  Christine McHorse was known for following her own path, one that converged her hereditary Navajo genes, Anglo exposure, and Taos life experiences in a way to produce outstanding pottery. She was not afraid of taboos around conventional kilns or adding animal motifs to her pieces.  She took purity of craft to a new level, especially with respect to Southwestern pottery.

Quite simply put, Christine McHorse (1948-2021) Nofchissey was one of New Mexico's best-known (Diné) Navajo potters. Her unique vision developed out of the melding of three cultures—Diné,  Pueblo, and Anglo. Her work earned her numerous awards and ribbons and garnered respect throughout the art world for the proud tradition of Navajo pottery.


Condition: This pottery jar is in original condition 

Provenance: This Christine McHorse Navajo Micaceous Pottery Jar is from a private Californian collection

Recommended Reading: Hearts of Our People - Native Women Artists, June 2, 2019 – August 18, 2019, Exhibit Catalog, Minneapolis Institute of Art