Youvella, Wallace – Large Seedpot with Carved Eagle

4"w x 4.75"h

$ 775.00

This is a larger seedpot by Wallace Youvella, the husband of Iris Nampeyo  It is very deeply carved with an eagle as the main design.  The eagle is surrounded by a rainbow pattern and the back of the seedpot is carved with a feather pattern.  The eagle and eagle feathers are slipped with a brown colored clay while the background is red. The lower tan area is the natural color of the clay.  Note the detail int he background and on the eagle!  Wallace was one of the first three men at Hopi in the mid-1970’s to begin making pottery (the others were Mark Tahbo and Thomas Polacca).  Interestingly, Thomas and Wallace (who were brothers-in-law) both started with traditional Hopi-Tewa designs but met resistance from the women potters, so began making pieces which were either fully polished and etched or deeply carved and slipped to look like a wood carving.  This piece is signed on the bottom in the clay.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.