Dorothy is a cousin of Mark Tahbo and he taught her how to make pottery.  Over the past several years, her work has continued to grow with more tightly painted designs and more intricate forms.  This plate is a fantastic form, with just a slight curve to the rim.  The design in the center is a bat katsina figure.  The simplicity of the design is perfect for the overall form.  Dorothy continues to evolve in her work and find a unique direction in Hopi pottery.

10"w x 2.5"h

$600.00

Eleanor Ami is the grandmother of  potter Loren Ami.  This jar is a classic example of her pottery.  It is the older white clay slip with a single bird as the design.  The bird has a very "old style" appearance, yet is graceful on the shape.  This jar is from the early 1970's.  This piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. 

3.5"w x 3.5"h

$125.00

Emerson Ami - Hopi-Tewa   

Emerson Ami is a grandson of Eleanor Ami and a cousin to Loren Ami.  Emerson is also married to Dorothy Ami and learned to make pottery both from her and his grandmother.  Emerson has a unique style of pottery, with vessel which are beautifully painted and very sculptural in appearance.  The canister on the left is reminiscent in form of early Hopi pottery, with the square mouth.  The design is painted with white and red clay, creating a linear geometric pattern.  It is a striking combination of both historic and modern.  The jar in the center has a tightly painted design with cloud and rain imagery. The rim has been sculpted to contrast to the polished surface of the jar.  The seedpot on the right is a beautiful form, with a wide shoulder and very tightly painted bird tail designs.  Note how crisp the fine lines are painted on this piece!  Emerson has certainly evolved in his work over the past several years and is definitely a potter to watch at Hopi!

 Left:        Canister with Geometric Patterns                         3"w x 5"h            $250.00 - SOLD

Center:    Jar w/ Geometric Designs and Sculpted Rim    3.5"w x 3.75"h     $100.00

Right:      Seedpot with Bird Tail patterns                            5"w x 2.25"h       $200.00 - SOLD

    Loren Ami - Hopi-Tewa  

The pottery of Loren Ami has a delicate balance of design and form.  His clay vessels are thin walled and stunningly proportioned.   The canteen on the left is a classic example of his pottery, with very tightly painted designs.  The use of red and white clay slips accentuate the bird tail design as the central pattern.  Loren also makes the leather strap for the canteen.  The canteen on the right is one of his few miniatures.  It is highly polished and painted with bee-weed (a plant) for the black. The deign is a spiral whirlwind pattern.  Loren is a grandson of noted potter, Sadie Adams.  He learned to make pottery from one of the most influential Hopi potters working today, Dextra Quotskuyva.  He is certainly becoming one of the new Hopi-Tewa potters to watch, as each new piece reveals his strength as both a potter and an artist!

Left:        Canteen with Bird Tails                         7"w x 5"long x 4"h       $1200.00

Right:     Miniature Canteen                                  2.5"w x 2" long             $300.00

Nathan Begaye - Hopi/Navajo   NEW

This oval mouth jar is another new piece from Nathan Begaye who has been working on some reconstructed pieces here in Arizona.  This jar is both painted with native clay slips and reconstructed near the base.  The top part of the jar has a painted Hopi style water serpent with cloud patterns on its back.  Each of the cloud patterns has a different clay slip and then they are stone polished!  The larger green triangular designs are meant to be a prayer feather for rain.  The bottom part of the bowl has been broken and "reconstructed", with each of the sections being fired a different color.  Nathan has been doing this technique for nearly twenty years.  He was initially inspired by the work of Rick Dillingham (who wrote 14 Families in Pueblo Pottery).  The bottom of the bowl is also fully painted with a very intricate black on black design.  Nathan said that he was experimenting with some new clays which he used to paint this complicated pattern.  This jar brings together so many aspects of Nathan's pottery, from his polished colored clays to his traditional designs and unique, organic forms.  Nathan simply continues to be one of the innovators of Native pottery.  Nathan has been featured in numerous books, including "Free Spirit: The New Native American Indian Potter", "Beyond Traditions" and others. His pottery can also be found in the permanent collection of the Heard and other museums.

5.75"w x 5.5"h

$1000.00

Nathan Begaye - Hopi/Navajo   

Nathan Begaye is certainly one of the true innovators and experimenters in Pueblo pottery.  This small canteen has an incised cloud pattern on the front. Note the intricacy of the incised designs.  The canteen has been native fired to create a dark greyish-black coloration.  The handle on the right is also a similar cloud pattern.  This part has been added to the canteen, as part of his "reconstructed" series of clay vessels.    Nathan has been featured in numerous books, including "Free Spirit: The New Native American Indian Potter" and others.

4.5"w x 3.75"h

$150.00 - SOLD

This is a stunning large jar by Karen Charley.  She is a daughter of Marcella Kahe and renown for her intricately painted pottery.  This jar has a high shoulder with a slightly turned out neck.  The deign around the shoulder is a basket pattern, similar to a Navajo wedding basket.  The body of the piece has a series of stylized Sikyati birds which are inter-connected around the entire piece.  The coloration of the jar is beautiful, with a rich firing.  Karen has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Indian Market.  Definitely a stunning jar for its size!

7"w x 10"h

$1000.00

Kathleen Dewakuku  has been making pottery since 1960 and is the mother of potter Lorraine Choyou.  Her work amazingly thin walled and beautifully painted Hopi pottery.  The jar on the left has a tightly painted geometric pattern. The black is derived from bee-weed while the polished red is natural clay slip.  The jar on the right has a fully painted design with geometric patterns and a fineline mountain design around the shoulder. 

Left:        Jar with Wide Shoulder            4"w x 3"h        $250.00

Juanita Healing was a daughter-in-law of noted potter Annie Nampeyo Healing (a daughter of Nampeyo).  Juanita was know for the unique shape of her pottery and the fine lines of her painting. This oval bowl has an old style bird design.  The coloration of the clay is nearly a beige.  Note the beautiful linear painting of the designs!  The bowl is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

6.5"long x 5.5"w x 2.75"h

Rondina Huma has continued to take her "shard" design concept, and make it tighter and more complex each year.  Her work is always an elegant blend of form and design.  This jar has a slightly turned out lip and four linear bands extending from the neck.  Note how much space is designed on this piece, it is amazing!  The jar has intricately designed patterns all the way to the base.  Rondina has won "Best of Show" at Santa Fe Indian Market, and "Best of Pottery" numerous times. Her work is consistently of an outstanding quality, with precision painting and a continual innovation of design.  Her pottery is a beautiful and visually important addition to any collection.

5.5"w x 4.75"h

$7200.00

     Violet Huma (d.) - Hopi-Tewa   

Violet Huma was from Second Mesa (Sichomovi) and was the mother of potter Anita Polacca.  She was well known for her traditional utilitarian style pottery.  This is an effigy bird, which has been beautifully formed and painted.  Figures such as this are difficult to both make and fire and are not often seen in Hopi pottery.  They were often made to be given to family members during Katsina dances, and would be filled with fruits or cookies.  This bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  The two smaller bowls to the right have classic imagery. One has a wind design while the other has a cloud pattern.  Violet's work is definitely a distinctive addition to any collection!

Left:        Bird Effigy                                        11.5" long x 6.5"h x 5.5"w        $700.00

Center:    Small Bowl w/ Wind Design       3"w x 2"h                                    $100.00

Right:      Small Bowl w/ Cloud                   3"w x 2"h                                    $100.00 - SOLD

Gloria Kahe - Hopi/Navajo  

Gloria Kahe is known for her tightly painted, very classic Hopi designs.  This open bowl is made from the red clay, which is considered more difficult to work with than the typical clay which fires the buff color. The bowl has a series of geometric patterns painted in black from bee-weed (a plant).  They are enhanced by areas which are painted with a red clay slip, which is a subtle variation from the red of the body of the bowl. 

Gloria has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Indian Market.

9"w x 4"h

$700.00       

     Val Kahe - Hopi   

Over the past year it has been exciting to watch as Val Kahe's pottery has evolved.  The vessels have become thinner and the designs more complicated.  Val learned to make pottery from her mother, Gloria Kahe. The seedpot on the left is a new design, which combines various bird wing patterns.  They fully encompass the top of the seedpot and the balance of the polished red clay slip against the black designs is striking.  The jar on the right is taller in form and beautifully polished.  The design here is a combination of  feather and bird wing patterns.  The encircle the shoulder the of the jar and leave the neck and base the natural clay color.  These pieces are fired traditionally outdoors, so there is a slight "blush" coloration to the clay, further enhancing the designs.  Val is certainly one of the "up and coming" potters of Hopi!

Left:        Seedpot with Feather Pattern                5.5"w x 3"h        $500.00

Right:     Jar w/ Feather & Bird Wing Design     6.5"w x 5.5"h      $700.00 - SOLD  

Val Kahe - Hopi   

Val Kahe is the daughter of noted potter Gloria Kahe and granddaughter of potter Marcella Kahe.  She began making her own style of "shard" pattern pottery over the past several years.  In each new piece she seems to challenge herself on form and imagery.  The designs are placed in a very linear manner on the jar.  This seedpot has designs which encompass the entire surface of the piece, from the rim to the shoulder.  Take a moment to view the first image above and note the intricacy of the design! Each design is meant to be different, pulling imagery from a variety of traditional Hopi sources, such as katsinas, jewelry and pottery.  The various designs are stunning when placed together on one piece.  The designs are painted onto the seedpot with "bee-weed", a plant which is harvested each year and used for the black on the pottery.  This is certainly and outstanding piece from one of the "up and coming" potters of Hopi!

5.5"w x 3"h

$600.00 - SOLD

Jacob Koopee - Hopi-Tewa   

Jake is certainly one of the most innovative and exciting Hopi-Tewa potters working today.  Jake Koopee is a descendant of Nampeyo of Hano, through his grandmother, Marie Koopee.  He continues the family legacy of dynamic visuals and elegantly formed pottery.  Here are two exceptional pieces of his pottery. The jar on the left has a classic Hopi image of two hummingbirds around a sunflower.  The birds are tightly painted and fit the asymmetrical shape of the vessel.  The opposite side has a hummingbird tail design.  Note the precision and intricacy of the designs and the fine line painting!  The red sections are fully polished and a beautiful contrast to the matte of black (bee-weed) designs. The jar on the right has a Butterfly Maiden as the central design.  Note the opening is where the mask would be.  The body has a white native clay slip and the headdress (tablita) is intricately painted and slipped with red and mauve clay slips.  Jake has won numerous awards for his pottery, including "Best of Show"  at Santa Fe Indian Market and "Best of Show" at the Heard Museum Indian Market!  He continues to be one of the young leaders of contemporary Hopi pottery!

Left:        Jar w/ Hummingbirds            4"w x 4"h        $1000.00

Right:     Bowl w/ Butterfly Maiden    5"w x 4"h        $1100.00

Jacob Koopee - Hopi-Tewa   

Jake is certainly among the most creative younger Hopi-Tewa potters working today. His vessels are beautifully formed with complex shapes.  This bowl is a fantastic example of his pottery skill, with a narrow base and wide shoulder.  The design is painted on the area above the shoulder.  It is a classic Bird Tail pattern often seen on Hopi pottery. However, Jake has given it his own unique style, with fineline painting and delicate swirls in he designs.  Note as well how he has polished each of the colored clay slips (from red to mauve) which he used to accent the black painted designs!  This is not only technically difficult, but unusual to find clay slips which can be polished and still retain their unique coloration.  Jake Koopee is a descendant of Nampeyo of Hano, through his grandmother, Marie Koopee.  He continues the family legacy of dynamic visuals and elegantly formed pottery.  He has won numerous awards for his pottery, including "Best of Show"  at Santa Fe Indian Market and "Best of Show" at the Heard Museum Indian Market!  He continues to be one of the young leaders of contemporary Hopi pottery!

10"w x 6"h

$3200.00

Lorna Lomakema (b. 1930) - Hopi-Tewa   

Lorna Lomakema is a daughter of noted potter, Sadie Adams.  Like her mother, she is noted for her use of the traditional red clay found at Hopi.  This clay is actually yellow in color before it is fired, but turns a deep red color.  This jar is a classic shape with a tall shoulder and slightly elongated neck.  The designs are painted using bee-weed, a plant, to make the black coloration.  The jar is divided into panels and each is painted with cloud, prayer feather and rain motifs.  This jar is from the early 1970's and it is in great condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is a beautiful example of her pottery!

5"w x 5.75"h

$200.00

     Steve Lucas - Hopi-Tewa   

Steve Lucas is exceptional not only with his use of form, but also with his use of design.  Here are two distinctive pieces of his pottery.  Both bowls are perfectly formed and thin walled. The bowl on the left has a star pattern which encircles the top part of the bowl.  Looking down from the top there is a beautiful symmetry to the pattern on the form.  The jar on the right has a modified bird tail and bird wing pattern around the shoulder.  The area below the shoulder is fully polished red and the entire piece is perfectly balanced on a small base.  Both pieces are painted in black (bee-weed, a plant), red clay slip and a white clay slip.    Steve has won numerous awards for his pottery, including "Best of Show" at Santa Fe Indian Market.  His work continues to be among the most sought after of Hopi potters.

Left:        Bowl with Star Pattern        7"w x 4"h        $1100.00

Right:     Jar with Bird Tail                 9"w x 5.5"h      $1800.00 -  SOLD

Steve Lucas - Hopi-Tewa   

This is an exciting variation in form from Steve Lucas.  The jar has an asymmetrical rim yet the shoulder and design is symmetrical in presentation.  The design is a series of geometric bird wing patterns which encircle the piece. They extend down from the shoulder.  The red area are a native clay slip which is highly polished.  It is not often that we see taller pieces from Steve, yet the shape and design flow beautifully together!  Steve has won numerous awards for his pottery, including "Best of Show" at Santa Fe Indian Market.  

7"w x 7.5"h

$2800.00

Steve Lucas - Hopi-Tewa    

This jar is an unusual piece for Steve Lucas.  The shape of the jar has a high shoulder and the area from the rim to the shoulder is polished.  The designs are very tightly painted birds, highlighted with a red clay slip.  The area below the shoulder has been left matte and then mottled with dots.  The intention is to have the surprise of the matte area against one's hands when the piece is picked up.  It is exciting to see Steve explores area of the pottery beyond design and also focus on the physical aspects of the work.  Steve has won numerous awards for his pottery, including "Best of Show" at Santa Fe Indian Market!

9"w x 7.5"h

$2600.00

Steve Lucas - Hopi-Tewa  

Steve Lucas learned to make pottery from his aunt, Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo.  His pottery is amazingly thin walled, and each piece has a dynamic use of form and design.  This is a larger piece of his pottery, and certainly one of the more complicated designs!  The jar has a highly polished red rim. The designs around the shoulder are a series of bird feather geometrics, encircling the jar.  The shape of the jar is based on the classic Sikyatki ware from near Hopi, with the wide, low shoulder.  The designs on this jar are intricate and elegant, and perfect how they just dip down below the shoulder!  Steve has won numerous awards for his pottery, including "Best of Show" at Santa Fe Indian Market. This jar is a stunning example of his pottery and a great addition to any collection.

10"w x 5"h

$3400.00

     Yvonne Lucas - Laguna/Navajo    NEW

Yvonne Lucas continues to create her own path in reviving historic Laguna pottery.  She is married to Steve Lucas, and learned to make pottery from him and his aunt, Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo.  Here are two elegant examples of her pottery.  The jar on the left is amazingly thin walled and painted using the bee-weed plant to create the black coloration.  The designs are feather, rain and lighting patterns.  The jar is then native fired, creating a beautiful coloration to the white area.  The jar on the right includes not only the black painted areas but also the polished red clay slip.  The design on the sides of the pieces are a flower pattern which is then connected to the next flower medallion with a geometric and fineline pattern.  The top of the jar has a star pattern which connects the four medallions and the cloud patterns.  Yvonne is one of the only potters from Laguna still firing traditionally, and the color variations are stunning, with almost a pinkish, meringue-like cast to areas of the white.  She has won numerous awards for her work and her pieces can be found in museums around the country.

Left:        Small Jar with Geometrics        7"w x 6.75"h        $1600.00

Right:     Flat Jar w/ Star Pattern              11"w x 7"h            $4000.00

Yvonne Lucas - Laguna/Navajo    

Yvonne Lucas continues to create her own path in reviving historic Laguna pottery.  This large water jar is among her most intricate, with only black (bee-weed, a plant) painted on a white clay slipped surface.  The designs are a series of plant and flower patterns.  They are enhanced by fineline pattern and the beauty of the coloration from the firing. Yvonne is one of the only potters from Laguna still firing traditionally, and the color variations are stunning, with almost a pinkish, meringue-like cast to areas of the white.  Yvonne learned to make pottery from her husband, Steve Lucas and Dextra Quotskuyva.  She has won numerous awards for her work and her pieces can be found in museums around the country.

9"w x 9"h

$4000.00

Yvonne Lucas - Laguna/Navajo   

.  Her pottery is based on traditional Laguna Pueblo designs, many of which she has revived by studying historic pottery at the School of American Research.  As well, each of her vessels is native fired and they use all native clays!  This is a striking jar with a central flower medallions as the main pattern. The rim and base are both fully polished red while there are additional brown slipped areas.  Note the complexity of the fineline patterns on the leaves encircling the medallion!  This is a jar which shows how perfectly an artist can blend form and design!  As the piece is also native fired, the coloration in the white areas on this jar are nearly opalescent.  The thin walls further enhance the feel of the bowl and the intensity of the design!

8"w x 7.5"h

$3200.00 - SOLD

Amber Naha-Black - Hopi-Tewa   

Amber is a daughter of Tyra Naha-Black and a granddaughter of Rainy Naha.  She has been making some smaller pieces of pottery and learning the process over the past several years.  She made, polished, painted and even chopped the wood for the firing of this bowl!  The bowl has a bird tail pattern on two sides and there are geometric polychrome rain and cloud patterns on the other side.  It is well painted and the  various colors are derived from native clay slips.  It is definitely exciting to see the upcoming generations of Hopi potters show such skill so early!  Congratulations to Amber for winning a First Prize in the Youth Award for her pottery at the 2008 Santa Fe Indian Market!

4.5"w x 2.75"h

$150.00 - SOLD

Helen "Featherwoman" Naha (1922 - 1993) - Hopi-Tewa   

Helen Naha learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law, Paqua Naha.  She continued with the use of the white clay slip and painted the designs using bee-weed (black) and natural clay slips. She quickly developed her own unique style of pottery with wide shoulders and flowing, inter-connected designs. This large jar is a striking example of her pottery, with the narrow base and wide shoulder. The pattern is a bat wing design, extending down from the neck to near the base of the piece.  The interior of the bat wing pattern is painted with a fine-line pattern.  Typical of much of her work, she combined intricate designs with open spacing and strong linear patterns to contrast her elegant forms.  The shape of this jar is striking not only in the wide shoulder, but also the slightly turned out lip.  Helen also polished the interior of all her pottery, which is a technical feat few potters try today, as it increased the potential for breakage.  This piece is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There are a few rubs in the black which are not unexpected on earlier Hopi pieces.  The bowl is signed on the bottom with a feather, Helen's hallmark.  She was the matriarch of a family of renowned potters, including Rainy, Burrell and Sylvia Naha.

12"w x 6"h

$4800.00

Helen "Featherwoman" Naha (1922 - 1993) - Hopi-Tewa   

It seems that often potters become associated as much with a shape as with a design.  Helen Naha learned to make pottery from her mother-in-law, Paqua Naha.  She continued with the use of the white clay slip and painted the designs using bee-weed (black) and natural clay slips.  In the 1930's she was asked to replicated pre-historic pieces from the Awatovi Ruin near Hopi as part of the archeological excavation going on at that time.  As a result, she revived many of their elegant designs.  The pattern on this bowl is called the "Awatovi Star" and has in many ways become synonymous with Helen Naha's name.  The star is repeated on the top and the bottom of the bowl.  Around the shoulder is an eternity band design.  Note how the bowl has a flat shoulder which then extends upwards to the mouth. The opening of the mouth was always large enough for Helen to get in her hand and polish the inside of the jar!  This piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There are a few rubs in the black which are not unexpected on earlier Hopi pieces.  The bowl is signed on the bottom with a feather, Helen's hallmark.  She was the matriarch of a family of renowned potters, including Rainy, Burrell and Sylvia Naha.

9"w x 4.5"h

$4000.00 - SOLD

Paqua "Frogwoman" Naha (1890-1955) - Hopi-Tewa    

This unique piece is a first for many reasons here at the gallery.  Over the course of twelve years, this is one of the first pieces we've had by Paqua Naha.  It is also one of the first ash-tray's we've had as well! Paqua Naha was as pivotal a potter in many ways as Nampeyo of Hano.  Paqua signed her pottery with a frog hallmark and was a matriarch of a whole family of renown potters.  This unique piece is made with the red clay and painted with geometric designs.  Note on the bottom, there is a portion of the original sticker, from the Hopi House at the Grand Canyon!  This is truly an unique and unusual piece, with both the signature of Paqua and the sticker.  This dates the piece from around the 1910 - 1920.  It is in very good condition, but with a couple of chips on the rim.  However, it is structurally sound with no cracks or restoration. This is definitely one of those very unusual, exciting pieces to come across, even if the form is an ash-tray!

5.25"w x 1.5"h

$300.00 - SOLD

Rainy Naha - Hopi-Tewa   NEW

Exquisite!  Throughout this past year Rainy has continued to amaze us with some extraordinary work.  This jar is based on an historic vessel in the Museum of Northern Arizona which has a Butterfly Katsina Maidean (Pahlik Mana) as the design.  Rainy has altered it so that it has a more full body appearance.  This canister is a perfect shape for the dancer!  Note the exquisite detail on the tablita and the body!  The various colors are all derived form native clay slips while the black is from bee-weed (a plant).  The feathers on the headdress are also the style style of feather as used on her signature.  In complement to the tightness of the painting and the colorations of the clay is the white clay fired out in a near porcelain like coloration. It perfectly highlights the black and browns for the design.  While not a large piece, it is simply perfect!  Rainy has won numerous awards for her pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Indian Market, including "Best of Pottery" at the 2007 Santa Fe Indian Market.  She continues to be one of the visionaries of contemporary Hopi pottery.

3"w x 4.25"h

$975.00

Rainy Naha - Hopi-Tewa   

It is always exciting when Rainy recreates one of the classic designs made famous by her mother, Helen (Featherwoman) Naha.  This bowl has the Awatovi style star on the top and the bottom.  Awatovi is one of two historic ruins near Hopi (the other is Sikyatki) which have provided the foundation of designs for almost all contemporary Hopi pottery.  The star has fineline patterns and swirls between each point.  Around the center is an "eternity belt", a symbolic design made famous by her mother and seen on much of her pottery.  Rainy says that she tried to make these pieces in her own, tightly painted style, and yet they remain a tribute to her mother's innovative pottery.  The entire bowl is slipped with a white clay slip and then painted with bee-weed to create the black.  Rainy continues to innovate and also create her own voice among Hopi-Tewa potters. Most recently she won "Best of Pottery" at Santa Fe Indian Market in 2007

8"w x 4"h

$1900.00

   Rainy Naha - Hopi-Tewa   

Almost ten year ago Rainy Naha brought her first "solstice" bowl into our gallery.  Today, each time she revisits this design, it has evolved in style and imagery.  This bowl is an amazingly intricate example of her style of painting.  The central design is the four phases of the moon.  They are surrounded by cloud, rain and geometric patterns. It is the shape of the bowl, with the wide shoulder and small mouth which highlights the design.  The sloping shoulder are perfect for showing off this imagery.  Note as well how the rain clouds descend below the shoulder! It is a simply stunning piece in form, design and creativity!  Rainy has most recently won "Best of Pottery" at Santa Fe Indian Market in 2007 and continues to create some of the most delicate, thin walled and intricate pottery among active Hopi potters!

7.5"w x 4.25"h

$1800.00 - SOLD     

Sylvia Naha was a daughter of noted potter Helen Naha (Featherwoman) and sister of Rainy Naha.  Sylvia created pieces with the white clay polished surface painted with bee-weed (black) and native clay slips.  Throughout the 1980's, Sylvia was considered among the most innovative of the Hopi potters.  Her pieces were unusual in form and amazingly intricate in design. This bowl is a beautiful example of her fineline painting.  Each of the four circular medallions has a fineline design and is surrounded by cloud and rain patterns.  The top and bottom have a fine line star pattern similar to that on her mother's pottery.  This bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is a unique design form this phenomenal Hopi-Tewa potter.

5.5"w x 6"h

Les Namingha is certainly one of the creative and dynamic potters working today.  For almost twenty years now he has pushed the edge of what is expected in Hopi pottery forms and designs.  Each piece brings together his own distinctive interpretation of  Hopi and the world around him. These two jars are each designed with birds as the central motif, yet they are designed in completely different styles.  The large jar on the left has Hopi style birds around the top and the center.  They are stylized, taking different parts of the birds for each area.  There are additional bands and sections with linear geometrics.  It is the linear geometrics and dots which make up most of the second jar on the right.  The bird here is painted with a white clay slip on top of a linear geometric form.  Both pieces are made with native clay and painted with native clay slips.  While Les uses acrylics on some of his work, it is the native clays which give his work additional depth are connection to the historic vessels of Nampeyo of Hano.  The fine lines of his painting and the thin walls of his vessels are indicative of the training he had from his aunt,  Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo.  He has won awards at events such as the Heard Museum Indian Fair, and continues the creative evolution of Hopi pottery.

Left:                Round Jar with Birds                8.5"w x 8.75"h            $3500.00 - SOLD

Right:             Jar w/ Mosaic Birds                    6"w x 4.25"h               $1600.00

Les Namingha is one of the true innovators in his generation of Hopi-Tewa potters.  He learned to make pottery from his aunt, Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo.  This is a collaborative piece with his wife, Jocelyn.  The walls of this vessel are well constructed creating a graceful form.  This jar has a wonderful globular form, with very round sides and an asymmetrical opening.  The tightly painted designs use native clay slips to create the colorations.  The geometric patterns are repeated around the bowl and it is an interesting use of such angular patterns on such a round vessel!  The imagery of snow, rain and cloud patterns continues his exploration of traditional imagery through his painted designs.  Each piece brings together his own distinctive view of  Hopi and the world around him.  He has won awards at events such as the Heard Museum Indian Fair, and continues the creative evolution of Hopi pottery.

7"w x 6"h

Les Namingha is a descendant of Nampeyo of Hano, and learned to make pottery from his aunt, Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo.  His vessels are well constructed with thin walls and graceful forms.  This recent jar  continues his exploration of traditional imagery through his painted designs.  The entire vessel is painted with acrylics and all the imagery is derived from Hopi pottery.  He as entitled this piece "New Migration".    The low shoulder has a wave pattern and above are a series of lightning bolts, all in different colors.  The white lightning bolt seems to crack through a dark sky, down to the waves.  The area below the shoulder has a geometric pattern, with grey and green earth tones.  Les is among the most innovative and dynamic of today's Hopi-Tewa potters.  Each piece brings together his own distinctive view of  Hopi and the world around him.  He has won awards at events such as the Heard Museum Indian Fair, and continues the creative evolution of Hopi pottery.

9"w x 9"h

Leah Garcia was a daughter of Fannie Nampeyo and a granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano.  She was the mother of Rayvin, James and Melda Nampeyo.  This is a beautiful jar with a bat wing design.  The lines on the design are tightly painted and perfectly complement the body of the piece.  The jar is in great condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. 

5"w x 4.75"h

Fannie Nampeyo (1900 - 1987) - Hopi-Tewa   

Fannie Nampeyo was the youngest daughter of noted potter Nampeyo of Hano.  She was certainly among the most skilled of her generation for painting designs pottery.  Among all her work, there are few designs which are as famous as her stylized "migration pattern".  This flowing design was revived by Nampeyo of Hano, but Fannie made it a signature of her work with finely detailed lines connected throughout the entire piece.  This jar is beautifully painted and a classic shape with a wide shoulder and slightly turned out neck.  The coloration of the clay from the firing has created some beautiful fire clouds.  This jar is in very good condition, with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  There is only small slightly worn area of the black near the base, otherwise it is in great shape.  It is definitely a classic shape and design by this important Hopi-Tewa potter!

7.25"w x 4.75"h

$2000.00

          Iris Nampeyo - Hopi-Tewa  

Iris Nampeyo is a daughter of Fannie Nampeyo, and a granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano. She is currently the oldest living member of the Nampeyo family.  Since the early 1980's, she been making jars with corn designs in relief.  Here are three distinctive pieces of her pottery.  On the left is a small bowl with a full ear of corn and a very unique brownish color.  The largest of the three is the bowl in the center with a single ear of corn and it has a red clay slip.  The piece on the right is a classic "mauve" colored bowl, again with a single ear of corn.  The corn is symbolic not only of Iris being a member of the Corn Clan, but corn is also a symbol of prosperity in Hopi culture.  Iris's pottery can be found in museums nationwide and each piece of her work is a dynamic testament to symbolism of nature in art.

Left:        Brown Bowl with Corn          2"w x 1.5"h           $375.00

Center:    Red Bowl with Corn              4"w x 3"h              $1200.00

Right:      Mauve Bowl w/ Corn            2"w x 1.5"h            $500.00

Iris Nampeyo - Hopi-Tewa  

Iris Nampeyo is renown for her pottery with carved and painted corn on the polished surface. This is a taller jar made from the traditional red clay at Hopi.  There is a single ear of corn on the front of the piece and note how painted husk encircles much of the jar!  The remainder of the jar is fully polished.  The corn is symbolic not only of Iris being a member of the Corn Clan, but corn is also a symbol of prosperity in Hopi culture.  Iris's pottery can be found in museums nationwide and each piece of her work is a dynamic testament to symbolism of nature in art.

2.5"w x 3.25"h

$600.00 - SOLD   

      James Nampeyo - Hopi-Tewa   

James Nampeyo is a grandson of Fannie Nampeyo and a son of Leah Nampeyo.  The focus of his pottery has long been the use of traditional designs and classic forms.  These two jars are outstanding examples of his pottery.  The jar on the left has a migration pattern as the design.  The jar on the right is a classic eagle tail with a highly polished neck. 

Left:        Jar w/ Migration Pattern            6"w x 4.25"h                $450.00 - SOLD

Right:    Jar w/ Eagle Tail Design             5.25"w x 4"h                $450.00 - SOLD

Priscilla comes from a family of renown potters, as the great-granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano and granddaughter of Annie Healing and sister of Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo.  Priscilla is also the matriarch of a family of renown potters, including Rachel, Bonnie, Nyla and Jean Sahmie.  Priscilla began making pottery when she was only seven years old, under the guidance of Nampeyo of Hano.  She was renown for her classic style of pottery with beautiful forms and traditional imagery.  This large jar is stunning in both form and design.  It is a classic migration pattern, consisting of eight bird wings on the top and the bottom.  Note the wide shoulder, which is a very typical form for Priscilla's vessels.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Priscilla's pottery can be found in numerous books on Hopi pottery and various magazine articles in Arizona Highways throughout the years.

12"w x 7"h

$2900.00

Agnes is the sister of Stetson Setalla, Dee Setalla and the daughter of Pauline Setalla.  She is known for her creative shaped pottery and classic designs.  On the left, this wedding vase is a very traditional form for her and the designs encompass almost the entire surface of the vase.  The clay color of the wedding vase is unusual with a pinkish tone to the clay.  It is a great contrast to the black and red slipped sections of the design.  The canteen on the right has a wide shoulder and old-style hummingbirds painted on each side.  The red is a natural clay slip which is in contrast to the black (bee-weed), which is derived from a plant.  The handles of the canteen have a leather strap, which Agnes has also made for this piece.

Left:        Wedding Vase        6.5"w x 11"h        $600.00

Charles Navasie is a grandson of noted potter Joy "Frogwoman" Navasie.  This bowl continues on in the family style of white slipped pottery.  The design on the top is a frog, which is painted with native clay slips for the red and bee-weed for the black. Note how the body of the frog is made up of various geometric patterns. It is a perfect shape piece for this unique design! 

7.5"w x 3.25"h

$800.00 - SOLD

Joy Navasie is known for her white slipped pottery and classic use of design elements. She learned to make pottery from her mother, Paqua, who also signed with a frog as a hallmark.  This wedding vase is from the 1970's and has a bird as the main design with the tail on the spout, looping down towards the body of the piece.  There  are also designs on the handle.  The wedding vase is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. 

4"w x 6"h

$700.00

Joy Navasie is known for her white slipped pottery and classic use of design elements. She learned to make pottery from her mother, Paqua, who also signed with a frog as a hallmark.  This large canister is from the early 1980's and has a classic hummingbird and flower pattern.  The motif is repeated on both sides.  The deep burgundy red clay slip is typical from this time.  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. 

7.5"w x 10.5"h

$3600.00

Garnet Pavatea was one of the non-Nampeyo family innovative potters of the 1970's.  She was probably best known for her corrugated red-ware pottery.  However, she also made beautifully painted traditional style Hopi pottery. This bowl has a classic "bat wing" pattern.  It extends down from the rim to the base.  Note the fine-line pattern as they encircle the bowl!  This piece is from the early 1970's and is in great condition, with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. 

6"w x 3"h

$275.00 - SOLD

Gary Polacca - Hopi-Tewa    

Gary Polacca is a son of noted potter Thomas Polacca, and continues in his father's tradition of carved and painted pottery.  This large jar has deeply carved Hopi dancers as the main imagery.  They are holding dance wands in their hands and are surrounded by traditional Hopi designs.  Note the various layers to the carved designs and how they encircle the entire piece, leaving no area but the small neck un-carved!  This jar is a beautiful example of the pottery by this talented potter!

7"w x 9.5"h

$900.00

Lloyd Polacca - Hopi-Tewa    

This bowl by Lloyd Polacca was made in 1972.  It is definitely unusual for the time, as only a couple of men were making and designing pottery at that time. The bowl has a cloud pattern on the rim, extending outwards.  The colors are derived from different clay slips and bee-weed (black).  The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is definitely a unique and a part of Hopi pottery history!

8"w x 3.5"h

$175.00

Thomas Polacca (1935-2003) - Hopi-Tewa   

Undoubtedly this is one of the most important, classic style pieces by Thomas Polacca, who was a son of noted potter Fannie Nampeyo . This lidded jar is inspired by the male Shalako Katsina.  The piece is from 1981, when Thomas was at the height of his innovation and still not only using native clays but also native firing his pottery.  When Thomas first began to make pottery in the early 1970's he was one of the first Hopi men to both make and paint his own pottery.  However, to overcome a negative reaction to making more "traditional pottery", he began to carve into the clay.  This Shalako has 32 large feathers carved just above the shoulder and then 32 smaller feathers carved just above them!  The entire piece is fully painted with native clays to give the appearance of wood.  This style was exciting and innovative at the time and few potters today venture to both carve pieces to this extent and paint them them with such intricacy!  Note how each feather is fully painted.  It is also amazing that the lid and tablita and the elongated neck survived the firing!  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is definitely a signature addition to any collection and a wonderful piece of history to the continuing evolution of Hopi pottery!

8"w x 13.5"h w/ lid

$2500.00

Thomas Polacca was a son of noted potter Fannie Nampeyo and he was one of the first male potters to both make and design pottery at Hopi in the 1970's.  This bowl was made in the late 1990's and is typical of his work from that period in terms of design and coloration.  The jar is deeply carved and has a Longhair katsina on one side and a Hano Mana on the other.  Each figure is surrounded by additional feather and bird patterns, which are carved into the clay.  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. 

4.5"w x 5.5"h

Bernadette Poleahla - Hopi   

Bernadette Polehala learned to make pottery from her grandmother, Frieda Polehala.  Growing up in the village of Sichomovi at First Mesa, she only began making pottery in earnest several years ago.  She has quickly found an exciting direction for her work. The variance of colors and textures of matte and polished surfaces gives each piece a distinctive appearance.  The bowl on the left has a classic kiva step pattern around the rim while the bottom is a full shard pattern.  The shards are each designed in a different color clay and some are painted with others are etched.   The native firing of her pottery creates a beautiful blush and coloration to the clay.  She is doing some creative work and we certainly look forward to more work from this outstanding "up and coming" potter!

5.5"w  x 2.5"h

$500.00

Bernadette Poleahla - Hopi   

This canteen from Bernadette is creatively built with a square mouth to emphasize the elongated form. The piece is rounded in the middle and has handles on the sides.  The stone polished surface is in contrast to the red matte clay around the mouth.  On one side is a stylized bird and the other a stalk of corn.  The native fired clay creates a beautiful coloration of blushes around the entire piece.  A piece of such technical difficulty is certainly a strong reflection of her talent as a potter.  We are exciting to see more dynamic vessels and designs from this outstanding potter!

8"w x 6"w x5"h

$500.00 - SOLD

Laura Preston (d.) - Hopi-Tewa   

Laura Preston is one of the group of Hopi potters from Second Mesa who began making pottery in the early 1970's. Their work is often much more varied in design than that of the pieces from First Mesa at the same time.  This is a large bowl with bird designs in two of the panels, and designs that almost appear Zuni inspired in the other two panels.  The bowl is from the early 1970's and it is in excellent condition, with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  There are some black-ish colored fire-clouds near the base.

10"w x 8"h

$400.00

Dextra Nampeyo Quotskuyva (b. 1928) - Hopi Tewa    

Dextra is a great-granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano, descending through her eldest daughter, Annie Healing.  For almost forty years she has been one of the most creative, innovative and influential potters at Hopi. This bowl is from the late 1970's and has a fineline shawl pattern as the main design.  The bowl includes additional white and red clay slips to create the designs.  The design has numerous fineline areas and it is beautifully constructed with a slight flare to the rim.  Take a closer look at the image and note the intricacy of the designs!   She continues to use bee-weed for the black and native clay slips for the white and red.  Note how she has etched onto the wings to make them more realistic!  Dextra has been the subject of a book and exhibition at the Wheelwright Museum, entitled, "Painted Perfection". 

4"w x 4"h

$2000.00

Dextra Nampeyo Quotskuyva (b. 1928) - Hopi Tewa    

This is a bold and dynamic bowl from Dextra.  The design is based on a Hopi shawl, worn by women during the Katsina dances.  These traditional shawls are wrapped around and create a design on both the front and back.  These are meant to represent looking at the back of the shawls.  The bowl has a wonderful linear pattern made up of only triangles and then squares and diamonds for the pattern.  The contrast of the angular shapes with the round bowl are part of the charm and certainly the visual intrigue of the piece.  The bowl is painted with bee-weed (black) and natural clay slips for the polished red and matte white surfaces.  It is amazing that for almost forty years she has been one of the most creative, innovative and influential potters at Hopi.   She is also the mother of famed painted Dan Namingha and potter Hisi Quotskuyva.  She taught Steve Lucas, Loren Ami, Yvonne Lucas and Les Namingha to make pottery, resulting in a nearly unprecedented influence in Hopi pottery. This bowl comes with a signed hard copy of the book, "Painted Perfection:  The Pottery of Dextra Quotskuyva" by Martha Struever.

6"w x 4"h

$5500.00

     Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo (b. 1928) - Hopi-Tewa   

Dextra Quotskuyva continues to balance her elegant forms with intricately painted designs.  This jar is simply a phenomenal piece of her pottery on every level possible!  The vessel itself is thin walled and highly polished.  The design of the bird tail and the wings encompasses about half the vessel, while the remainder is plain.  However the firing has created beautiful blushes which complement the form and design.  However, it is the intricacy of the design which is signifies the Dextra's name.  The tight, thin lines, the placement of the designs, delicate imagery of the eagle tail and wings.  The use of the red clay slip to highlight the designs is then balanced with the red slip just on the inside of the lip. Elegant and dynamic. Dextra has won numerous awards for her pottery and been the subject of an exhibit at the Wheelwright Museum and a book on her art.

6.5"w x 4.25"h

$5000.00

Dextra Nampeyo Quotskuyva (b. 1928) - Hopi Tewa    

Few potters have had the impact on their art as Dextra Nampeyo.  She is a great-granddaughter of Nampeyo of Hano, descending through her eldest daughter, Annie Healing.  For almost forty years she has been one of the most creative, innovative and influential potters at Hopi.   She is also the mother of famed painted Dan Namingha and potter Hisi Quotskuyva.  She taught Steve Lucas, Loren Ami, Yvonne Lucas and Les Namingha to make pottery, resulting in a nearly unprecedented influence in Hopi pottery.  This small bowl is a stunning example of her work.  The bowl is simple in form, with a wide shoulder and small opening.  The design has four dragonflies, symbolic of one's prayers taken to heaven. Take a closer look at the images and note how tightly painted the dragonflies are on the clay.  She continues to use bee-weed for the black and native clay slips for the white and red.  Note how she has etched onto the wings to make them more realistic!  Dextra has been the subject of a book and exhibition at the Wheelwright Museum, entitled, "Painted Perfection". 

5"w x 2.5"h

$2800.00 - SOLD

Jean Sahmie is a daughter of noted potter Pricilla Nampeyo. She his renown for her use of innovative designs on traditional forms.  This jar is a fantastic example of her work, and one of the most complicated we have seen!  The jar itself is beautifully formed and a difficult shape to create, with such a round body and thin walls.  The design around the neck is a diamond shaped pattern, and there are four birds encircling the bowl.  Below them are a series of traditional design elements.  The four hands represent the four directions and the lines around them are the migrations of the people around the world.  Looking at the bottom of the vessel it is stunning to see how the imagery almost has the appearance of a weaving!  Jean is amazingly creative and has won awards at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum Market. This is definitely an exciting direction for her work, both in complexity and composition!

11"w x 8"h

$3000.00 - SOLD

Jean Sahmie is a daughter of noted potter Pricilla Nampeyo. This jar is a wonderful example of her classic style of pottery.  The form of the jar is elegant, with a slightly turned out lip.  The design is a series of four traditional style birds encircling the piece. There are polished red and matte burgundy red clay slips emphasizing the body of the bird.  Note the native firing, which has created the beautiful coloration to the clay! Jean has won awards at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum Market.

4.5"w x 3.5"h

$400.00

Rachel is a daughter of noted potter Priscilla Nampeyo.  She is known for her beautifully formed and painted pottery.  This wedding vase is a striking piece by this outstanding potter.  Take a closer look at the painted design, as the migration pattern is always difficult to paint, and yet it seems effortless on this vase.  The form is also her own, with a wide shoulder and long necks on each side.  Rachel's pottery brings together the individuality of the artist with the strength of the Hopi traditional designs.

8"w x 12"h

$1000.00

Pauline Setalla is the matriarch of a family of exceptional potters, including Dee Setalla, Stetson Setalla, Gwen Setalla and Agnes Nasonhoya.  Pauline was married to Justin Navasie, who was a brother of Eunice (Fawn) Navasie and brother-in-law to Joy Navasie (Frogwoman).  This is one of the largest pieces we have seen of her work and she no longer makes pieces this size. The large bowl has a geometric pattern above the shoulder and another series of designs just below the sharp shoulder.  The bowl was made in 1972 and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is a great large vessel by an important potter! 

14"w x 5.75"h

$800.00

It is not often that we see such a technically creative and innovative piece!  This is a set of two tiles which Mark has carved so they set into each other creating an "eight-sided" tile!  The final two images show the four different images on the tiles.  They are katsinas along with a sunrise, heart and frog.  When put together they create a fascinating group of images telling a variety of Hopi stories and legends.  In the first group there is the frog and the sunrise, both part of creation. The second group is an old style katsins.  In the third group there is one of the runner katsinas and Hopi, part of the games that go on during the Hopi katsina dances.  The tiles fit together perfectly and are perfectly painted with amazing detail.  Note as well the native firing and the variety of colors to the clay. This is something for which Mark is famous.  Mark has won numerous awards for his pottery and is featured in books such as "Talking with the Clay".

6.25"w x 4.5"h

$800.00

It is not often that we get a smaller jar from Mark Tahbo.  He is a great-grandson of noted potter Grace Chapella.  His graceful forms complement the intense firing on his pottery.  This new jar is fully polished to create the shine and note how it is polished on the inside down almost the shoulder!  The coloration is derived from the firing, where Mark purposefully intensifies the fire to create dramatic colors!  The shape of the jar is elegant with the high shoulder and the slight dip as it rises to the neck.  Mark has won numerous awards for his pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum Market.  He is also featured in books such as "Talking with the Clay".

4"w x 4"h

$500.00

Mark Tahbo is a great-grandson of noted potter Grace Chapella.  While many Hopi potters have resorted to electric kiln firing, Mark was one of the first in the early 1990's to emphasize the blushes on his traditional firings as part of the "design" and not just a background effect. The deep, rich coloration of his pottery are distinctive and enrich their overall appearance.  This jar is a wonderful shape with a wide shoulder and small neck.  The design is a classic butterfly or moth pattern, made famous by Grace Chapella.  This piece has a male and female on two sides, while the opposite sides represent the Mesas at Hopi.  Below the shoulder it is also fully designed with rain and cloud patterns.  Mark has won numerous awards for his pottery and is featured in books such as "Talking with the Clay".

5"w x 3.5"h

$600.00 - SOLD

Inspired!  That is the best way to describe this large jar by Mark Tahbo, a great-grandson of Grace Chapella.  The jar has a classic shape with a narrow base and wide shoulder.  The designs combine two different elements in Hopi pottery.  One two sides (images 1 and 3 above) are Hopi birds, painted in circles.  The birds are overlapping and connected.  On the opposite two sides are stylized koshari clowns. The banding of their headdress are seen above the shoulder.  One has its hands down, the other up.  On the loin-cloths there are painted a flower on one in mauve clay, and a moth on another (a tribute to Grace Chapella).  Typical of Mark's pottery, the firing brings the form and design to life. The deep, rich fire clouds race across the vessel, highlighting the shoulders and the circles of the birds.  Inspired and elegant!  Mark Thabo has won numerous awards for his pottery and continues to be one of exceptional traditional innovators of Hopi pottery!

12"w x 6"h

$3000.00

Laura Tomosie was a sister of Grace Chapella and renown for her innovative designs in Hopi-Tewa pottery.  This jar is an elegant shape, with a round body and a long neck.  The designs are finely painted with intricate snow and rain patterns around the neck and body.  It is in excellent condition, although there is some slight fading to the black areas of the design. 

3.5"w x 5"h

$150.00

Hopi Pottery  __________

Preston Duwyenie - Hopi   NEW

Preston Duwyenie is renown for his simple yet elegant pottery.  He is from Second Mesa at Hopi, and taught ceramics for years at Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe.  This large jar is based on the pre-historic Sikyatki revival pottery, which is famous for its wide, flat shoulder.  The jar is made from a micaceous clay and then has a micaceous clay slip applied to the surface.  The piece is fired black, but with the micaceous surface, it almost has a more "gunmetal" or metallic appearance.  While the vessel itself is beautifully proportioned, Preston has given it an asymmetrical mouth, higher in the back than in the front.  He has also inset a piece of silver into the surface of the clay. He casts the silver from cuttlefish bone and then cuts it to the correct shape and then insets it after the vessel is fired.  The silver pieces are meant to represent either the shifting sand around Hopi, or a lake or water.  Take a closer look at the silver piece above and the tight ripple design! Preston has won numerous awards for his pottery, including "Best of Show" at the Heard Indian Market.  

11"w x 5"h

$1000.00

Al Qoyawayma - Hopi  

We are very excited to have this new work from this outstanding potter! Al Qoyawayma has long challenged traditional notions of Hopi pottery.  Al is from Third Mesa and a nephew of noted potter Elizabeth White.  His background in engineering is reflected in his pottery and delicate yet surprising forms his pottery is able to achieve.   This smaller jar is spectacular in both form and design.  Al calls this shape with a narrow base and mouth a "wish jar", after pieces made by his aunt Elizabeth.  The entire vessel is fully polished and there are carved designs on each side.  One side has a old style butterfly while the other has flowers.  The butterfly is again a tribute to Elizabeth White, who's Hopi name, "Polingaysi" translates to butterfly.  What makes this jar so special is the use of three different clay slips which are used to highlight the carved surfaces.  The butterfly has two levels of carving with the deepest level a dark brown and then two other clay slips used for the body and the wins.  The flowers also have two layers of carving and additional clay colors added. Al has won numerous awards for his pottery and been featured in books such as "The Art of Clay".  His work can be found in museums nationwide and continues to be an exciting addition to any collection!   

3.25"w x 6"h

$2700.00

Al Qoyawayma - Hopi   NEW

We are very excited to have this new work from this outstanding potter! This bowl is inspired by the pre-historic Sikyatki pottery, which has a wide, flat shoulder.  Al has made this piece with a beautiful mauve colored clay!  The piece has been stone polished in a vertical or "onion-skin" manner.  Al calls this piece, "The Path of Life".  Note the small raised area near the mouth, it has been carved with an ancient style pueblo wall and key-hole doorway. Take a closer look at the images and note how the walls are tightly carved and etched to create the feeling of actual stone. Simply amazing!  Interestingly, the door is visible from both the front and the back of the piece!  The idea of the piece is that in one's path of life, there is always a new door leading somewhere and sometimes the door is an unexpected opening.  This vessel shows how Al continues to redefine the notions of traditional Hopi pottery.  He is from  Third Mesa and a nephew of noted potter Elizabeth White.  His background in engineering is reflected in his pottery and delicate yet surprising forms his pottery is able to achieve.  Al has won numerous awards for his pottery and been featured in books such as "The Art of Clay".  His work can be found in museums nationwide and continues to be an exciting addition to any collection!   

12"w x 5.75"h

$5400.00

Al Qoyawayma - Hopi  

We are very excited to have this new work from this outstanding potter! Al Qoyawayma has long challenged traditional notions of Hopi pottery.  Al is from Third Mesa and a nephew of noted potter Elizabeth White.  His background in engineering is reflected in his pottery and delicate yet surprising forms his pottery is able to achieve.  Several years ago he began making polychrome pottery, which pushed his work to a new level.  Each piece is fully carved and then the carved areas are painted with different natural clay slips.  This three sided three sided jar has carving on each "panel".  Technically, this an amazing vessel, as it has a narrow base which slopes upward to three sides.  It is the three sides which are then carved, incised and painted with natural clay slips for the color.  The first image above shows a bird, with Al's signature corn design in the background.  Take a closer look and note the detail in the background area of the carving!  The second side has a bird in the sky with a stunning blue-green colored clay slip.  The three figures are corn maidens, each textured with a corn husk design on their bodies and painted with native clay slips. The final panel is a horned toad effigy.  It is carved into the clay and again painted with native clay slips.  The tan area is  highly polished and it is the natural color of the clay.  Al has won numerous awards for his pottery and been featured in books such as "The Art of Clay".  His work can be found in museums nationwide and continues to be an exciting addition to any collection!   

5.5"w x 9.5"h w/ Lid

$8500.00 - SOLD

Otellie Pasivaya Loloma (d. 2004) - Hopi  

Otellie Pasivaya Loloma was from Second Mesa at Hopi.  She learned to make pottery and in 1942 was married to Charles Loloma.  In the 1950's both she and Charles made a variety of pottery until their divorce in the late 1960's.  Most of their pottery was made using a wheel, non-native clays and kiln firing. However, many of the pieces were experiment with making glazes from local Hopi clays.   This bowl is simply one of the most complicated we have had of Otellie's pottery. The designs are a series of katsinas encircling the bowl!  Each is a different figure, some facing forward, some to the side.  They are all incised into the clay before firing.  The inside of the bowl is glazed with a brownish colored glaze.  The bowl is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is rare for us to find a piece of pottery by Otellie, and even rarer to find one with such dynamic imagery.  As more of her pottery comes to light over time, she is beginning to be seen as one of the early innovators and influential potters of her time.

5"w x 3.5"h

$2400.00 - SOLD

While living at Santa Clara Pueblo, Harrison Begay, Jr. learned to make Santa Clara style carved and polished pottery. While many of his earlier pieces utilized Santa Clara imagery, today, his designs are focused on Navajo and petroglyph patterns. The jar on the left is a stunning example of his pottery!  The wide shoulder and small neck are beautifully formed. Around the shoulder of the jar are a series of geometrics, from cloud, wind, star, sun and wind patterns.  They vary from polished to matte surfaces.  Above them are a rounded cloud pattern and then a star pattern.  Take a moment to view the third image above and note the high shine of the polished surface on this jar! The jar on the right is one of the most complex pieces of his work we have had in the gallery.  It is an elegant shape with tall sides and a sloping neck.  The designs around the body of the piece are traditional Navajo Yei figures along with bear paws and petroglyh patterns.  The contrast between matte and polished surfaces, along with the use of micaceous clay above the shoulder, creates a visually stunning piece.  The firing technique making this brown is also part of the overall appeal, as it gives it a more traditional "Navajo" appearance in coloration.  Harrison has won numerous awards for his work and continues to be one of the leading innovators in Native American Indian pottery.

Left:           Black Jar with Petroglyph Designs            7"w x 5"h            $1200.00

Right:        Brown Jar with Yei Figures                          6"w x 7.25"h       $2400.00

Alice Cling is renown for her mastery of form in contemporary Navajo pottery.  Her perfectly balanced pottery seems to hover on a narrow base and gracefully rise to amazing heights only to be accented with a wide shoulder.  Here is an elegant jar with a wide shoulder, square mouth and a stunning firing!  The jar has beautiful coloration ranging from dark red to black.  Alice Cling was certainly pivotal in the evolution of Navajo pottery from folk art to fine art since the 1990's.  Typical of her work this jar is outdoor fired and then covered in pine-pitch after the firing.  Alice has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as "Legacy of Generations".

 6.5"w x 6.25"h          

$600.00

Susie Crank - Navajo    NEW

Susie Crank is a sister of noted potter Alice Cling.  Susie works in a similar style, focusing on the polish and firing to give her pottery a distinctive appearance.  This long neck jar has a beautiful form with a sharp shoulder and a flaring neck. The colorations are all derived from the outdoor firing.  Note the variations in color from black to red and orange. The jar is covered in pine pitch after the firing, which is typical among traditional Navajo potters.

6.5"w x 11.75"h          

$600.00

Lorraine Williams - Navajo    NEW

Lorraine Williams is one of the great innovators among Navajo potters.  She has created her own unique style of pottery, which is incised with traditional rug and Navajo designs, then painted and native fired.  After the piece is fired it is covered in pine pitch, which is typical of all traditional Navajo pottery harkening back to when it was utilitarian.  This beautiful long neck jar has a rug pattern incised into the clay and swirling down from the rim to the base.  The coloration of the clay is derived from the outdoor firing.  Lorraine has won numerous awards for her pottery and been featured in books such as "A Legacy of Generations". 

8"w x 10"h

$500.00

Sue Ann Williams - Navajo    NEW

Sue Ann Williams is a sister of noted potters Alice Cling and Susie Crank.  This is a beautiful example of her pottery with a high shoulder and a carved rim. The design on the rim is either a kiva step pattern or a mesa design.  The various colorations of the clay are derived from the outdoor firing.  After the piece has been fired, it is covered in pine pitch, which harkens back to classic Navajo pottery which used pine pitch to make the pieces utilitarian.

5.5"w x 4.5"h

$150.00