Dextra Quostkuyva Nampeyo is certainly one of the most influential Hopi-Tewa potters of the last 50 years. Not only did she teach 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 is an exceptional small migration bowl from the early 1980s.  It is thin-walled and painted with the migration pattern.  Dextra said of this design:

“This is the one design that was really stressed for us to use, the migration pattern. Nothing but lines, representing the migration of all the people to all the places, including down below and up above. It has seven points at the top and bottom. All the x’s represent life from the bottom and top, telling you the universe is one. The thin lines, I just wanted to paint them real fast and real close to try and include everyone.”  Dextra Quotskuyva Nampeyo, Spoken Through Clay

The bowl has red clay near the rim and the base and the remainder is painted with bee-weed (black).  The lines are very thin and close, as would be expected from her pottery!  Do you see the “spirit line” in the black line around the rim of the piece? This is her tribute to Nampeyo of Hano, who would often leave a break in the painted band around the rim of her pottery.  This bowl is signed on the bottom, “Dextra” and a corn plant for her being in the Corn Clan.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. Simple, elegant and a classic!