Navasie, Joy “Frogwoman” – 20″ Tall Wedding Vase with Hopi Birds

12.5"w x 20"h

$ 5,000.00

WOW!  This is an extraordinary piece by Joy Navasie. She 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.  This wedding vase is one of her classic shapes with a round body and elongated spouts.  It is precision painted with a bird tail on one spout extending downward to the bird and traditional Hopi-Tewa designs. The designs are on both sides and the handle is also painted.  The wedding vase was a special commission by Joy for an Arizona collector.  It was traditionally fired and the coloration of the white from the traditional firing has a striking opalescence in coloration.  It is rare to find pieces of this scale and elegance of form.  The vase is signed on the bottom with her frog hallmark.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.