This unsigned and casually painted pot has two different butterfly designs, crosshatching, and other standard Hopi/Hopi-Tewa design elements. This is “folk” art—not “fine” art—and it makes me smile. Probably made 1930s to 1960s, but this is just a guess. Such folk butterflies are characteristic of the Chapella family (see Dillingham, 1994: 5—11), but there is no specific evidence tying 2008-08 to this family.

Purchase History:
Purchased on 7/21/08 on eBay from Bill Tindall, III of Granite City, IL. He wrote that the pot “came from the Eva Schulte [estate] sale in Highland, Illinois approximately 2 years ago…. The Schulte’s were old time collectors/dealers…. They are both gone now and they will be fondly remembered.”