Jimmy Wilson (1935- )

The Diné (Navajo) had a long tradition of making pottery before the 1800s, mostly decorated and mostly utilitarian, but, for some reason, making decorated pottery was forbidden by a Medicine Man so pottery production ceased.  Mae Adson, a relative of Rose Williams, explained the taboo against decoration as follows: “The Anasazi started to over decorate their pottery, and the wind destroyed them, because of that.  That’s why we are told not to decorate pottery.” (Rosenak, 1994)  Pottery production was eventually revived in plainware form.

Jimmy Wilson lives in Leupp, Arizona. He and his wife make pottery with Navajo (Diné) images from Creation Stories drawn on their surface; sometimes colored. Wilson makes shallow, incised geometric designs of Navajo people on his vessels. He will also put appliquéd designs on some of his works.

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