Hopi Black and White on Red Nampeyo Jar [SOLD]

Nampeyo of Hano was a very talented artist and this is proven over and over when one examines her work.  She was not repetitious in her designs but constantly innovated to make a change here and another change there so that she fit the best design to the shape of the vessel she was working on.  This is quite evident if one looks at a hundred of her vessels.  There are no two alike, similar perhaps, but not alike.

Nampeyo was the earliest pueblo potter to be considered an artist.  Before her time, pottery was produced as utilitarian wares and may have been artistic but was not considered as such but was evaluated only as utilitarian.  Pottery collected by the Smithsonian was treated as ethnographic property with no attention being given to its artistic qualities or to the name of the potter who made it.

This red-slipped jar is another masterpiece by Nampeyo, not exactly like any other she did.  She apparently started this raised corn relief pattern in early 1900, long before she began losing her eye sight.  Corn is such an important crop to the Hopi that this idea may not have been artistic as much as spiritual.  Later, Elizabeth White Polingaysi, Al Qöyawayma, and Iris Nampeyo used raised corn designs on their pottery, but it was Nampeyo who started the trend.

There is an old merchant-style paper label attached to the jar that states Gan, 17, 1901.  There was a Santa Fe merchant Julius Gans in business at that time.  If so, this could be one of the earliest jars of this style made by Nampeyo.  It is an extraordinary jar with a beautiful and well executed design.  The vessel wall is thin, the slip beautifully polished and the painting was precisely applied.

UPDATE: Jonathan Batkin told us that Gans did not move to Santa Fe and start his business until 1916, so the 1901 date does not fit with a Gans transaction.  After closer examination, what we thought was Gan 17, 1901 is actually Jan 17, 1901.  Our thanks to Jonathan for his assistance.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: from a private collection

Recommended Reading: Canvas of Clay, Seven Centuries of Hopi Ceramic Art by Wade and Cooke