Tso, Faye – Canteen with Raised Lizard (1980s)
$ 750.00
Faye Tso was one of the first Navajo potters to using unconventional imagery in her pottery. While traditional Navajo pottery has very little decoration, Tso applied images of corn maidens, lizards, and dancers to the surface of the clay. Her grandson, Jarred Tso, is also an important younger potter who is carrying on this amazing family tradition. This canteen sits at an angle. There are two handles and a lizard in relief on the surface. While it may seem precarious at the angle, it is actually very stable, attesting to Faye’s skill as a potter. The canteen was traditionally fired and is covered at the end with pinon pitch. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Faye Tso”. It is inexcellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. Definitely a great piece of Navajo pottery history!
Out of stock
Faye Tso was one of the first Navajo potters to using unconventional imagery in her pottery. While traditional Navajo pottery has very little decoration, Tso applied images of corn maidens, lizards, and dancers to the surface of the clay. Her grandson, Jarred Tso, is also an important younger potter who is carrying on this amazing family tradition. This is a large canteen. It is coil built and there is a Rainbow Yei figure on one side. The Rainbow Yei is in relief. The canteen was traditionally fired and is covered at the end with pinon pitch. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Faye Tso”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. Definitely a great piece of Navajo pottery history!
Brand
Tso, Faye (1933-2004)
Faye B. Tso was one of the first Navajo potters to use unconventional imagery in her pottery. Her father was Leonard Begody. Traditional Navajo pottery has very little decoration, but Tso applied images of corn maidens, warriors, and dancers onto the surface of the clay. She was a practicing Navajo herbalist, and her husband and son are both medicine men. The family often uses Tso’s pottery in their ceremonies, because "fire, cloud, and earth are all part of the Navajo way". Her grandson, Jared Tso, is also an important younger potter who is carrying on this amazing family tradition.