A Zuni emergence myth tells us that the Zuni began a migration as soon as they entered this world.  They first elected leaders for this migration-the son and daughter of the village chief-who went ahead of the others.  During the trip, the brother became enamored with his sister and copulated with her.  The result of this incestuous relationship was the birth of ten children that night.  Nine of the ten were misshapen, impotent, and witless, and they became known as the Koyemshi-also known as the Mudhead.  The ten Zuni Mudheads resemble each other but actually are different in their masks and gear.

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This seed jar is low and wide with an almost flat top that rises just so slightly to a rim that curves upward.  A wide black framing line just below the rim and another one just below the mid-body set the boundaries for the design.  Mark chose two different birds-which he described as a Quail (see top knot) and a Falcon (see beak).  On the two birds he colored a single tail feather with a blue/white clay he discovered at the Awatowi ruins at Hopi. 

The designs that alternate between the pair of birds is a more traditional rendering of the Sikyatki split tail feather seen on pottery by Nampeyo which she reintroduced from Sikyatki wares.

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This is an early Sikyatki-revival bowl that is unquestionably the work of Nampeyo of Hano.  The shape of the bowl is typical of Nampeyo's construction in that the inner edge of the rim has an extra thickness of clay, applied probably for strength.  The outer edge of the rim has the characteristic inward roll.

The design is practically lost from view because of extensive use of the bowl, but it too is characteristically Nampeyo in style. The band that runs across the bowl occupying 1/3^rd of the design area and the stylized bird pendant to that band are both well documented design styles of Nampeyo, inspired by Sikyatki pottery.  It is among the earliest designs of Nampeyo that were influenced by the 14^th to 16^th centuries ceramics of the Sikyatki.

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Nampeyo of Hano was an artistic genius who looked at fragments of ancestral Hopi ceramics from a thousand years ago and used that as her inspiration for creating shapes and designs on her pottery which she was making in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  She rarely, if ever, copied designs from the Sikyatki but used those to create designs of her own.

This jar is one of Nampeyo's creations using design inspiration from the Sikyatki potters before her.  Any attempt to define the meaning of these designs would be purely speculative as only the potter from Sikyatki who first used similar ones would know if there was meaning or just personal creativity.  The black design that separates the polychrome ones has been called eagle tail feathers but do we know who came up with that name?  It seems like an obvious description and certainly will continue to be used in the future.  Another design has been interpreted as a Katsina face.  The two half circle eyes would define the face and the pair of orange curved pieces could be horns.

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This presentation is for two necklaces because they make a wonderful presentation when worn together.  One necklace is a single strand of coral with short tubular beads of turquoise.  There are five sterling silver crosses and two crescent shaped pendants on the necklace.  The other necklace is four strands of tubular coral and turquoise beads.  Either necklace alone is rather unimpressive, but wearing them together is most impressive.  The coral and turquoise in the two necklaces match perfectly.

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This Arts and Crafts Movement mission oak buffet was manufactured by the Rockford Chair & Furniture Company of Rockford, Illinois and shipped to the American Furniture Company in Denver, Colorado to be sold.  It has a central door with glass, inside of which is one shelf.  Above the door is a drawer divided into three sections, presumably for silverware.  A large drawer spreads across the lower portion of the buffet.  A framed mirror covers the width of the buffet.

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  Acoma Pueblo potter Pablita Concho has been listed as an active potter in a survey of 1974 but no mention of her in a survey in the 1940s.  She was obviously a competent potter at the time she made this canteen.  It is large, well-constructed and beautifully designed with influence from Tularosa pottery of pre-historic time.

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This canteen by Carrie was fashioned to sit at a backward tilting angle to better display the design on the face, a design originated at Zuni Pueblo but adopted decades ago by Acoma potters.  The heartline deer is the focus of the design but the elaborate band surrounding the deer should not be overlooked as it was beautifully executed.

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There is an exception in the case of two Hopi potters of note-Nampeyo of Hano and her eldest daughter Annie Healing Nampeyo. Nampeyo became famous not only because she was an outstanding artisan, but because the Fred Harvey Company housed her and her family in the Hopi House at the Grand Canyon in the summers of the early 1900s, where she demonstrated pottery making and sold her wares. It is well known that Annie collaborated with her mom in the early part of the century. She also made pottery herself, although precious little recognition was given to her in those early days.

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This is a superlative painting of an Antelope Dancer by Julian Martinez, one of the premier pueblo painters of the early 20th century. This fantastic, evocative, and subtly beautiful image depicts an Antelope Dancer in profile, and is executed in gouache on paper. The figure was created in contour with pencil and then wonderfully realized in opaque pigment, with all the traditional accoutrements of the dancer. The prominent headdress frames the coal-black face of the dancer, with feathered embellishments falling to the rear, over the dancer's back and neck. An animal skin covers his body, the legs are covered in white cotton woven garters tied with red yarn, there are feathered dance wands that simulate the front legs of the antelope, and embellished moccasins complete the ensemble.

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  Arthur Begay shared his time between being an electrician and an artist.  He was born in 1931 on the Navajo Reservation at Newcomb, New Mexico.  He attended Phoenix (AZ) High School and Famous Artist's School in Westport, Connecticut.  He lived for most of his life near Newcomb, New Mexico, not far from Two Grey Hills Trading Post. In the 1950s, he won a fellowship to study under the famous Saturday Evening Post illustrator, Norman Rockwell, and spent a year working in Rockwell's studio in Westport, CT.

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This drummer was made by Mary and Leonard Trujillo, members of Helen Cordero's family.  Leonard was an adopted son of Helen and Fred Cordero and Mary is Leonard's wife.

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  Delores Juanico (1969 - ) creates miniature Acoma Pueblo pottery and applies designs from published historic pottery.  This jar has a design she chose from a published Acoma jar from circa 1850.

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  Seferina Ortiz made this storyteller figurine in 1972, just 8 years after the very first storyteller was made by Helen Cordero.  It was not until around 1970 that potters other than Cordero began making them, so Seferina goes down and one of the very first to make the figurines in the likeness of a storyteller.  She had made figurines before then, mostly animals, but she adapted well to the new creation of Helen Cordero.

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In the late 1800s, Dr. Washington Matthews observed the Navajo and published information on the tribe, its ceremonies and crafts.  In 1909, Oscar H. Lipps published a book entitled The Navajos in which he quoted Dr. Matthews' description of the Navajo Fire Dance which he called The Fire Play.  In 1989, Avanyu Publishing re-published Lipps' book under the full title A Little History of the Navajos (see reference below).

In this paining, Beatien Yazz has presented us with one of the fire dancers in active participation of the event.  He is dressed only in a loin cloth and his body is covered in gray ash body paint.  He dances with a fire stick in one hand.

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Reference: A Little History of The Navajos by Oscar H. Lipps, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1909.

José Encarnacion Peña (1902-1979) Soqween - So Kwa A Weh (Frost on the Mountain) was among the many painters at San Ildefonso Pueblo working in the 1920s: namely, Tonita Peña, Richard Martínez, Luís Gonzales, Abel Sánchez, and Romando Vigil.

"A little-known San Ildefonso artist is Encarnación Peña. One of the early artists, he produced little through the years. Like so many others, he was greatly influenced by the more outstanding men of his village, particularly in delicacy of style in painting dancers." (Dunn, 1957)

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This is the traditional San Juan style jar with a polished black upper body and polished gray underbody, a style which has been made for centuries. In these jars, the red slip is wiped over the upper two-thirds of the vessel body and the lower one-third left without slip.  Both upper and lower portions are then stone polished.  When reduction fired, the red changes to black and the tan underbody changes to gray.  The interior of the neck is matte finish.  It probably dates to circa 1900-1930 period.

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This seed jar is probably from the 1970s or earlier and is an excellent example of the fine work of Fannie Nampeyo.  It was beautifully formed, polished, and painted with precision.  The tip of the rim rolls out in the manner that Nampeyo frequently used.  The parallel black migration lines are remarkably straight and parallel.  The orange paint was applied in an even consistency of darkness and a beautiful blush was achieved during firing.  The low and wide globular vessel form is particularly striking. The widest part of the vessel is at mid-body.

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Priscilla Namingha Nampeyo was a third generation descendant of Nampeyo of Hano. Her mother was Rachel Namingha Nampeyo and her grandmother was Annie Healing Nampeyo. She continued using the Sikyatki revival designs taught to her by Nampeyo. She was an outstanding potter and her designs were always beautifully executed.

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In the spring of 1972, T. C. Cannon and Fritz Scholder were being featured with a two-man exhibit of their paintings at the National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C., when the owners of Aberbach Fine Arts of New York introduced themselves to T. C. and offered to purchase all his paintings in the exhibit.  They recognized the talent of this 24-year-old Native artist.  Aberbach became Cannon's major art dealer from that point, then, a few years later, became his exclusive dealer for the entire world.

This watercolor and pencil painting on paper presents "The Last Civil War Veteran" presumably on his death bed.  It is signed in lower right and dated 1973.  It is a typical painting by Cannon reflecting a true historic subject.  He painted with regard to authenticity in every subject he chose.

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