This is a classic seedpot by Sylvia Naha.  She was a daughter of Helen “Featherwoman” Naha.  This piece was inspired by the work of her mother and it is the classic “Awatovi Star” pattern.  Awatovi is one of the ruins near Hopi where a white slipped style of pottery was made.  It is a fascinating place as it was where Coronado made contact with the Hopi in 1540.  During the excavations in the 1930s, the whiteware pottery was rediscovered.  It was the imagery from this work that inspired much of Helen’s early pottery, as opposed to the more classic Sikyatki inspired pottery of Nampeyo.  This seedpot has the “Awatovi Star” pattern painted on the top and the bottom.  The top has a very tightly painted star with swirls, while the bottom has a more open design, much more like Helen’s work.  Around the shoulder is her “eternity band” design. The piece was traditionally fired and there is some variation to the color from the firing, which certainly adds to the beauty of the piece.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.  It is signed on the bottom with her hallmark feather and an “S”, which was Sylvia’s signature.