Welcome to
First People Potsan online catalog of 500+ pieces of Native American artwork owned by a private collector, described by Cowboys & Indians Magazine as “a valuable resource for collectors, galleries, and scholars.”
2025-03 Avian effigy pot of a Hopi penguin
This large effigy is more pot than bird, perhaps the image of a flightless Hopi penguin. It joins three other avian effigies in this collection: 1) 2019-06 by Michael Hawley, who was not Native, 2)...
2025-02 Three katsinas carved plate
Katsinas are powerful spirits that bring instruction and blessings to the people at Hopi. The inventive tripartite carving on this plate highlights this power. This plate is kiln-fired and thus lacks the blushing given...
2025-01 Late 19th century Tawa ladle
The handle is 2.125” wide at its widest. The handle is 0.6875” thick. The bowl is 0.25” thick. The bowl is 1.875” deep. Small and worn, this ladle displays an image of the Creator Tawa. This image has a history, both at Hopi and in...
2024-11: Large canteen with complex swirling birds
The spout is 1.5" long. Each handle extends 1.25" from the body and is 3.1875" high. Karen Charlie is a fine potter and this large canteen is the form, size and design for which she is best known. The size of...
2024-10: Effigy figure of female dancer with tabula
The body of the dancer is 1.625" deep. The base of the figure is roughly 2-inches square. While the first two items by Darlene that entered this collection are jars (1988-02 and 1989-02), she has become better...
2024-09: Small bowl with simple bird/skyband design
This bowl displays a version of the "bird hanging from sky band" design that was central to Nampeyo's development as an artist. The bowl was likely formed by Nampeyo and painted by a young relative who got it wrong, though...
