Joy Navasie was known for her white slipped pottery and classic use of design elements. She learned to make pottery from her mother, Paqua, who also used white clay and signed with a frog as a hallmark.  The white kaolin clay is a slip that is applied to the surface of the vessel, and then black (bee-weed) and red clay slips are used for painting.  This wedding vase is a classic of her pottery from the early 1970s.  The vase has a round shoulder and symmetric spouts.  There is a Hopi bird on each side, with the stylized tail feather extending up each spout. The wings and tail are around the body of the wedding vase.  It is painted with bee-weed (black) and her early orange-red red clay to accent the designs.  The wedding vase was traditionally fired outside with the resulting light colorations that can be seen on the piece.  The vase is signed on the bottom with her frog hallmark.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Brand

Navasie, Joy "Frogwoman" (1919 - 2012)

Frogwoman - Joy Navasie

Joy Navasie was known for her white slipped pottery and classic use of design elements. She learned to make pottery from her mother, Paqua, who also used the white clay and signed with a frog as a hallmark. The white kaolin clay is a slip that is applied to the surface of the bowl, and then black (bee-weed) and red clay slips are used for painting. Joy's pottery is iconic among the Hopi white slipped pottery, and her work can be found in numerous books and museums worldwide, and some spectacular pieces are featured in the 1974 Arizona Highways magazine.