This is a classic jar 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 piece has the “Awatovi Star” pattern painted on the top and the bottom.  The top and bottom are both very tightly painted with stars and swirls.  Around the edge of the shoulder is her “eternity band” design. The piece was traditionally fired.  It is in excellent 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.