Qoyawayma, Al – Mesa Verde Architectural Jar with Tower (1994)
$ 15,000.00
This is a spectacular architectural piece from Al Qoyawayma. It is one of his pieces from his “Mesa Verde” series. The oval area is pushed into the clay and then the building is pushed back out from the inside of the bowl. In the last photo, you can see one of these pieces in the process when Al was doing a demo at our Scottsdale gallery. Beyond the technical, this large bowl has a very intricate designed Mesa Verde series of buildings. There is a large round tower in the background along with one other buildings. To the side is a single kiva. The kivas are round ceremonial rooms built into the ground. This one has the top with a ladder. What is unique to this jar is the raised wall to the far left side. This wall extends up from the last of the buildings and there is a window looking through the side. There is more time involved to create this complicated addition to the bowl and not have it crack in drying or firing. The bricks are designed on all sides of the tower, and even the walls of the buildings! All the “bricks” are etched into the clay and then slipped with clay for coloration. Al has also made small wooden vigas that are added to the piece after the firing. The bowl itself is vertically polished in an “onion skin” vertical manner in the style of historical pottery. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Al Qoyawayma”. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
Al said of this style:
This is one of my pieces from my “Mesa Verde” series, a “1/2 Arch Mesa Verde”, 12” in diameter. The concave oval area is pushed into the Hopi clay vase using the repoussé technique and then the buildings are pushed back out from the inside of the bowl, no clay added except parapets and freestanding walls. All the stonework is individually carved or “inscribed” on the damp clay surface, allowed to partially dry, and then “scraped”. The final slipping on the stonework is 6 layers of color. The overall piece is a buff-yellow stone polished surface with native clays and mica.
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This is a spectacular architectural piece from Al Qoyawayma. It is one of his pieces from his “Mesa Verde” series. The oval area is pushed into the clay and then the building is pushed back out from the inside of the bowl. In the last photo, you can see one of these pieces in the process when Al was doing a demo at our Scottsdale gallery. Beyond the technical, this large bowl has a very intricate designed Mesa Verde series of buildings. There is a large square tower in the background along with three other buildings. In front of the towers are two kivas. The kivas are round ceremonial rooms built into the ground. One has the top with a ladder and the other is missing the roof. What is unique to this jar is the raised tower to the far left side. This tower extends up from the last of the buildings and there is a window looking through the top. There is more time involved to create this complicated addition to the bowl and not have it crack in drying or firing. The bricks are designed on all sides of the tower, and even the walls of the buildings! All the “bricks” are etched into the clay and then slipped with clay for coloration. Al has also made small wooden vigas that are added to the piece after the firing. The bowl itself is vertically polished in an “onion skin” vertical manner in the style of historical pottery. The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Al Qoyawayma”. It is always exciting to see how Al will continue to evolve one of his most iconic vessels.
Al wrote of this piece:
This is one of my pieces from my “Mesa Verde” series, a “1/2 Arch Mesa Verde”, 12” in diameter. The concave oval area is pushed into the Hopi clay vase using the repoussé technique and then the buildings are pushed back out from the inside of the bowl, no clay added except parapets and freestanding walls. This 1/2 arch architecture includes a large tower on the right with smaller buildings to the left. What is unique is the wall structures on the outside vase surface….likely one of a kind feature in the Native American pottery world. Then there are two kivas. The kivas are round ceremonial rooms built into the ground. All the stonework is individually carved or “inscribed” on the damp clay surface, allowed to partially dry, and then “scraped”. The final slipping on the stonework is 6 layers of color. The overall piece is a buff-yellow stone polished surface with native clays and mica.
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Qoyawayma, Al (b. 1938)
Al Qoyawayma
Al Qoyawayma has created two distinctive styles of Hopi pottery. The first style embodies figurative sculpted reliefs using the repousse technique, combined with traditional coil construction and tactile stone polished surfaces. The resulting contemporary Hopi pottery calls forth images of the Southwest with its subtle mix of desert hues, creating an interplay of light and shadow reminiscent of the Hopi land. This land and the essence of his ancient relatives nurture and inspire the artist.
The second is polychrome and a "futuristic" version of Sikyatki pottery from the 1500s. The pieces are carved and slipped with various clay colors. The precision of the carving and the contrasting colors make this style visually dynamic.
Al writes of himself:
"I am of the second generation of Hopi beyond the broken pattern, a pattern, a way of life utterly foreign to the western world. With the real influence of western civilization, I am the product of two worlds. Out of our family clan, the Coyote Clan, it was said that we would be the generation to meet the new world and make a change that was our ancient role as the Coyote Clan….to be those who go before. Therefore, it is only natural that one of our necessary survival skills, as exhibited by our ancestors, should be adapted to today's art world. Through the gentle hand and guidance of a beautiful teacher, my aunt Polingaysi, I learned the basic techniques and philosophy I now use in my pottery creations.
My clay creations reflect the southwest environment's aesthetic influences and values passed down through our family. Form, textures, contrasts, shadow, and the softness of desert color hues are foremost in my work. Oral history and research provide me with emerging themes; identifying who we are is a profound pursuit. At the same time, my repoussé technique offers a "contemporary" style of ceramics. A particular tradition does not restrict me; I'm free to innovate. I find myself trying to "reach" in my creative pursuit as I strive to bring into focus human and spiritual things beyond my reach. Creativity will always be my challenge."
Al Qoyawayma won "Best of Pottery" at the 2016 Santa Fe Indian Market and "Best of Pottery" at the 2017 Heard Indian Market.