Komalestewa, Alton – Wide Shoulder 23 Swirling Rib Melon Jar (1990s)
$ 1,500.00
This is a striking wide-shoulder melon jar by Alton Komalestewa. It is the combination of color, form, and polish which makes it exceptional. Alton learned to make pottery from his mother-in-law, Helen Shupla. She was famous for her traditional melon bowls and over the years Alton has taken and refined this form with thinner walls and a highly polished surface. This jar has 23 melon ribs that swirl from the rim to the base. You can feel inside how the clay is pushed out from the inside. The jar is fully polished and fired a glassy brown-black coloration. It is technically difficult to stretch the clay and create even, symmetrical ribs. Note as well how each of the ribs has a slight edge! It is signed on the bottom”Alton Komalestewa”. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
In stock
This is a striking wide-shoulder melon jar by Alton Komalestewa. It is the combination of color, form, and polish which makes it exceptional. Alton learned to make pottery from his mother-in-law, Helen Shupla. She was famous for her traditional melon bowls and over the years Alton has taken and refined this form with thinner walls and a highly polished surface. This jar has 23 melon ribs that swirl from the rim to the base. You can feel inside how the clay is pushed out from the inside. The jar is fully polished and fired a glassy brown-black coloration. It is technically difficult to stretch the clay and create even, symmetrical ribs. Note as well how each of the ribs has a slight edge! It is signed on the bottom”Alton Komalestewa”. The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
Brand
Komalestewa, Alton (b.1959)
Alton Komalestewa (Hopi-Tewa), Melon Jar[/caption]
Alton Komalestewa is a great grandson of Nampeyo of Hano through her son William Komalestewa (1893-1922). Alton learned to make pottery from Santa Clara potter Helen Shupla. She taught him how to make her classic style of melon bowls with the undulating ribs.