Quotskuyva, Dextra – White-on-Red “Four Generation” Moth Jar (1990s)

5.5"w x 3.5"h

$ 3,300.00

This is an unusual and historically interesting jar by Dextra Quostkuyva Nampeyo. This is one of the few red-ware pieces we have seen of her pottery.  Dextra would typically create the classic buff-ware seen in Hopi-Tewa pottery.  This jar is made from red clay and painted with bee-weed (black) and white clay.  What makes it historically interesting is that her grandmother, Annie Healing, was known for her white-on-red pottery.  The designs on this piece are four moths, which is, of course, is a design made famous by Dextra’s great-grandmother, Nampeyo of Hano (see last photo).  Did you know that the words for “moth” and “butterfly” are the same in Hopi-Tewa?  This jar has four moths with their heads extending towards the rim with white polished wings.  On the back of each moth there is a different design. There is a single dot, double dot, dot in a square, and a dot in a circle with a cross.  They are meant to represent four generations of potters creating this design.  They are separated by sections with white stippling.  The body of the jar has just a bit of mica in the clay and it was vertically polished.  The jar was traditionally fired to create slight color variations on the surface.  The jar is signed on the bottom 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.