Naha, Rainy – Jar with Dragonflies and Butterflies
$ 2,000.00
This is an intricately designed jar by Rainy Naha. She learned to make pottery from her mother, Helen “Featherwoman” Naha. Rainy continues to use a similar style, using a white clay slip as the foundation for her work. This jar has a two dragonflies on one side and a larger butterfly on the other side. They are each painted with various Hopi-Tewa designs. There are smaller linear dragonflies and butterflies next to the larger ones. Separating the butterflies and dragonflies are intricate panels with Awatovi inspired swirl and fineline designs. They are a sampler of designs she uses throughout her pottery career. She has various colors of clay used to accent the painted designs. The black is bee-weed, while the colors are all natural clay slips. The jar is traditionally fired which gives the white a very pearlescent appearance. It is signed on the bottom with a feather and “Rainy”.
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This is an intricately designed jar by Rainy Naha. She learned to make pottery from her mother, Helen “Featherwoman” Naha. Rainy continues to use a similar style, using a white clay slip as the foundation for her work. This jar has a two dragonflies on one side and a larger butterfly on the other side. They are each painted with various Hopi-Tewa designs. There are smaller linear dragonflies and butterflies next to the larger ones. Separating the butterflies and dragonflies are intricate panels with Awatovi inspired swirl and fineline designs. They are a sampler of designs she uses throughout her pottery career. She has various colors of clay used to accent the painted designs. The black is bee-weed, while the colors are all natural clay slips. The jar is traditionally fired which gives the white a very pearlescent appearance. It is signed on the bottom with a feather and “Rainy”.
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Naha, Rainy (1949-2026)
Rainy Naha
Rainy Naha learned to make pottery from her mother, Helen "Featherwoman" Naha, and Rainy was the granddaughter of Hopi-Tewa pottery matriarch Paqua Naha, the first "Frogwoman." The traditional designs of her pottery go back to the early works made by Paqua. Her sister Sylvia and brother Burel Naha are also well-known potters, and they use much the same styles and colors as Rainy. Each piece of Rainy's work is made in the traditional hand-coiled method, then shaped, sanded, and polished before painting with bee-weed (black) and native clay slips and native fired. Rainy was an innovative voice among Hopi-Tewa potters. She won numerous awards, including "Best of Pottery" at Santa Fe Indian Market in 2007. She signed her pottery with the traditional feather hallmark used by her mother and then added her first name.