Hopi Pueblo Polychrome Seed Jar by Nampeyo of Hano [SOLD]

This polychrome pottery seed jar was created by Hopi-Tewa matriarch Nampeyo of Hano. Its form and its designs are beautiful, and it is in excellent condition. Nampeyo expanded on the common seed jar form, adding an upturned rim and a band of impressions between the painted designs and the rim. The Hopi Pueblo jar leans slightly to one side, but this can easily be corrected with a small pad or piece of putty should the owner wish to do so.

A single design band circles the jar, reaching from below the jar's widest point to the top of the shoulder. The delicacy and precision with which the designs were applied is one of the jar's most notable strengths. The linework is phenomenal, working in service of an appealing composition that suits the vessel perfectly. Thick framing lines appear above and below the designs.

The jar's coloration is another attribute that deserves praise. The cream slip serves as a perfect backdrop for the red and black designs, with the three tones working together naturally and harmoniously. A gentle and beautiful cluster of fire clouds adorns much of the jar's underside in tones ranging from warm orange to smoky gray. Occasionally, the clouds reach up and over the shoulder, but they're mostly concentrated on the bottom, adding a level of visual depth to the unpainted underside. Everything comes together beautifully here, resulting in a strong example of Nampeyo's work that will appeal to many collectors.

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: very good condition, light abrasion and thin slip cracks commensurate with age, no restoration or repair

Provenance: this Hopi Pueblo Polychrome Seed Jar by Nampeyo of Hano is from the collection of a client of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: Nampeyo, Hopi Potter: Her Artistry and Her Legacy by John Collins

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