Duwyenie, Preston – 11″ Wide Open Bowl with Shifting Sand Rim

This is a classic bowl by Preston Duwyenie.  He is known for his Hopi pottery which blends modern and traditional aspects of the art. This bowl is made from white clay that he finds near Second Mesa at Hopi.  The shape has a wide shoulder and a flat top.  Below the shoulder, the bowl is stone polished.  The area above the shoulder is where he has carved a continuous shifting sand pattern.  The depth of the shifting sand creates subtle shadows in the clay.  What makes the “sand” area so fascinating is how Preston carves it so that it has a very natural appearance.  The bowl has a “cloud” lid that fits perfectly into the piece.  The lid is sterling silver and cast from cuttle-fish bone (a type of squid).  The casting creates a similar style of ‘shifting sand’ design to complement the clay areas!  The thin walls of the bowl, the organic feel of the shifting sand, and the strength of the silver lid are elegant on this piece.  The bowl and lid are signed on the bottom with Preston’s hallmark, which is a woman carrying a child, which is his Hopi name, meaning “carried in beauty”.

Why the shifting sand designs? Preston says he remembers watching a smooth pebble caught in sand being shifted by the wind, “there was beauty in its isolation within the sea of sand. It was like an island.  The endless sands of time, and the fact that people, too are tossed about by the wind. There is always rippling in our lives”.

Brand

Duwyenie, Preston (b. 1951)

Preston Duwyenie is from Hotevilla, Third Mesa, at Hopi.  He is renowned for his elegant pottery, often highlighted with silver medallions.  He taught ceramics for years at the Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe.  He is married to Santa Clara potter Debra Duwyenie and now resides in Santa Clara Pueblo.  Preston has won numerous pottery awards, including "Best of Show" at the Heard Indian Market. ARTIST NEW ADDITION SUBSCRIPTION>