Loren Ami created Hopi-Tewa pottery inspired by traditional Hopi designs and forms.  He learned to make pottery from Dextra Quotskuyva, and canteens were one of the special pieces she taught him to make.  Each piece is coil-built, and painted with native clays (red) and bee-weed (black).  This canteen has a classic round body shape and is fully polished. The canteen is painted with a Red Tail Hawk design.  The red areas are stone polished, and it was all painted before it was fired.  It was traditionally fired to create blushes on the surface.  The canteen also has a braided leather strap.  The piece is signed, “Loren Ami” and a spider clan design.  It is from the 1990s and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

“When I started making canteens, Dextra said, when you close the middle of the canteen with the last piece of clay, turn away and don’t look at it. I asked her
why? She said if you look, you will eventually go blind.  When you close up something like that, it’s like closing up the center or belly button of the vessel. She said
Just don’t look. I tried a few times molding canteens and not looking, and just feeling it. She used to tell me about her mom when she was blind, she could still mold
just by the feel of it.”  Loren Ami, Spoken Through Clay

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