Quotskuyva, Dextra – “Shards of Life” Polychrome Bowl (2000s)

7.25"w x 4"h

$ 5,800.00

Dextra Quostkuyva Nampeyo is certainly one of the most influential Hopi-Tewa potters of the last 50 years. Not only has she taught numerous potters (Steve Lucas, Yvonne Lucas, Les Namingha, Loren Ami, Hisi Nampeyo, to name just a few), but her creative designs and forms changed have dramatically influenced the pottery itself.  This jar is from the late 1990s. The jar is on of her fascinating pieces that “tells a story”.  There is a small flute player figure holding the hand of another small etched figure, leading him through the designs.  There are Hopi textile patterns, corn, katsinas faces, rain, shawl, prayer feather, and more imagery. The designs are set up as interlocking “shards’, each connecting to the next and drawing the eye across the surface. There is an exceptional complexity to the design on this piece and the precision in the painting. As well, in addition to the black (bee-weed), there are red, white, burgundy, and mauve clay slips.  Note how in various sections she used the white clay to create shadows and depth!  Amazing!  Dextra was fearless with her designs and created pieces of both high quality and amazing originality that will stand the test of time.  The jar was traditionally fired to create blushes or fire-clouds on the surface.   The jar is signed on the bottom, incised in the clay, “Dextra” along with a corn plant to represent the Corn Clan.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.

“If I dream about different designs, I dream this should be here and that should be there. Once I start doing that, I get up and try to sketch it. I leave it and then I think about it. It won’t hurt to go ahead and put it on the pot if that’s what it’s meant for. I’ll go ahead and do it. If I don’t, then I keep thinking about it. Another dream, a repeat of the same one. So, I decided there’s a reason why. So I’ll go and put it on the pot. The dreams lead me to something new. It’s kind of funny. I worried that people would not like what I was doing. My mom said that because you are changing it people are not going to like it. I thought I don’t know. All these ideas about life in this world, what to leave, and what’s important in life. Living the spiritual life. That’s how I got started. I guess it was alright. I couldn’t get away from it anyway.”  Dextra Quotskuyva, Spoken Through Clay