This is an intricate jar by Les Namingha.  His pottery designs are a creative blend of Hopi-Tewa and modernist designs.  The piece is a water jar shape with a round shoulder and short neck.  The entire surface is fully painted. The base is a gray coloration, almost like the natural color of Hopi clay before it’s fired. There is a large Sikyatki bird swirling on one side. The bird has a variety of Hopi-Tewa designs painted as part of the body.  Behind the bird are white lines and swirls. This is how Les portrays a bird “migration” in his pottery.  It is his modernistic version of the Migration bird wing pattern revived by Nampeyo of Hano. The small multi-color dots represent the directions (North, South, East, West, Above, Below), based on color.  The jar has a fascinating variation of stylistic design as it is turned. Les creates designs that are often thoughtful and with meaning on various levels. This jar is part of his “Urban Polychrome” series, of which Les says:

“The concept of layering is inherent in our mortal journey. As time moves forward, our memories become layered. Some memories remain vibrant, others faint or hazy. Yet others, obscure or even hidden. Likewise, our experiences, words, works, emotions, prayers and songs build up in layers creating our existence. In turn, our societal interactions become exercises in layering. We see this in evidence with street art or graffiti writing where layers of thought and a desire to express a “proof of existence” create tapestries of color and marks. Blending, covering, harmonizing, dissonance, disappearing. This concept of layering is the idea behind Urban Polychrome and other works in the Urban Series.”  Les Namingha