This jar by Les Namingha combines a variety of Hopi style birds swirling around the top of the jar.  The birds are painted in various shades of brown and red.  They are painted against a white background which gives the piece a more classic appearance.  The bodies of each bird are tightly painted with various traditional Hopi-Tewa designs.  The bottom of the bowl is layers of banding as if to symbolize the layers of Hopi designs that are put one on top of another over the years.  The bowl is signed on the bottom.   This piece 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