Hopi Pueblo Polychrome Bowl by Nampeyo of Hano [SOLD]

Hopi-Tewa matriarch Nampeyo of Hano created this polychrome pottery bowl. Those who are familiar with Nampeyo's work will recognize this bowl's form—the slight lip at the interior rim is a trademark of Nampeyo's bowls, as is the lug on the exterior.

Nampeyo's excellent painted designs and their wonderful coloration elevate the visual impact of the piece beyond that of the average potter's work. Four groups of three dots appear, evenly spaced around the rim. A thin black band circles the interior just below the raised lip, with a ceremonial break placed below one of the clusters of dots. A complex, nearly symmetrical composition in black appears in the center, with a large block of red above it and an additional touch of red filling in a triangular form on one side.

The bowl's strongest attributes might be its coloration and patina. In the interior, the slip takes on a familiar cream tone. It darkens as it reaches the rim, and on the exterior it varies from cream to orange, with gray fire clouds. The red and black pigments are particularly beautiful on this piece, working quite nicely with the slip's varying colors to create an attractive palette. The bowl is nicely patinated from years of handling, further enhancing its appeal.

Nampeyo of Hano (1857-1942) was a widely influential potter who lived and worked on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. Nampeyo is regarded today as one of the finest Hopi potters and one of the most important figures in the history of Native American pottery. Her work is displayed in major museum collections around the world. Nampeyo was taught how to make pottery by her grandmother and began earning an income as a potter while she was still just a teenager. Less interested in innovation than perfection, Nampeyo took an early interest in the design and form of ancient Hopi pottery, which she believed to be superior to the pottery being created by her contemporaries. She visited the ruins of ancient villages and copied designs from pieces of prehistoric and protohistoric pottery onto paper, then reproduced the designs on her own vessels.

Condition: good condition, light wear from handling, superficial slip crack in interior

Provenance: this Hopi Pueblo Polychrome Bowl by Nampeyo of Hano is from a private collection of a New Mexico resident

Recommended Reading: Nampeyo and Her Pottery by Barbara Kramer, University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 1996

TAGS: Hopi Pueblo, Fannie Polacca Nampeyo, Nellie Nampeyo Douma, Annie Healing Nampeyo, Nampeyo of Hano, Hopi-Tewa Potter and Matriarch