Tall Polychrome Vase by Frog Woman [SOLD]

Joy Navasie is among the most famous of Hopi-Tewa potters. She learned the skill from her famous mother, Paqua Naha, the first Frog Woman, who had developed white-slipped pottery in the mid-1950s. Joy Navasie picked up the tradition and continued it until her retirement in 1995. Her daughters are now continuing the tradition.

This jar is beautifully decorated with stylized birds and feathers in true Hopi fashion. The dark brick red and strong black paints stand out beautifully against the pure white slip.  The vessel stands up in a manner as elegant as any Grecian vase and, to those of us who collect pottery, just as beautiful and valuable.  Pottery of the pueblos is truly a national treasure, whether it is from the prehistoric, historic, or contemporary period.  Very little tradition in this country has existed unchanged for a thousand years, as has pueblo pottery. It is something we should be proud of and protect for future generations.

The jar is signed on the bottom with the traditional frog hallmark of Joy Navasie.

Artist Photo (above) courtesy of Rick Dillingham, Fourteen Families In Pueblo Pottery.

Condition: very good condition, very minor abrasions to brown paint

Provenance: from a family collection in Oregon and was purchased in the 1980s.

Recommended Reading: Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery by Rick Dillingham