Hopi dish with double bird design, signed by Grace Chapella.

According to Rick Dillingham, the dish was made about 1975 and was painted by Grace’s daughter Alma (see 1989-07). Grace had a stroke in 1974 and her eyesight had dimmed by 1975. Although she was still making “potteries”– Grace had stopped painting her pots after the stroke.

Shortly after the publication of his “7 Families in Pueblo Pottery” book Rick Dillingham organized a pueblo pottery show at Dewey-Kofron Gallery (Santa Fe), where he was employed.  The catalog for the exhibit is simply a listing of comments by the pueblo potters represented.  Grace’s daughter Alma Tahbo said:

“She (Grace) must have started when a child helping Nampeyo with the material for her pottery.  Her mother told her she was born in winter before the announcement of the Bean Dance, so they gave her February 4 for her birthday.  She is now 103 years old.  She returned from the Indian Service and started making pottery around 1950.  When she was working for them she did small pots in her spare time.  She was with the Thunderbird design for a long while and used it on the tall vases.  She quit making the tall vases and started the flat ones and used the Butterfly design.

I began to help her in the 1960’s.  Since she has been getting older, I do the finishing, painting and firing for her.  I began to make my own 5 or 6 years ago….The pottery originated from the ruins.  The old people created it for us to carry on.  Using the old designs makes you think about who used them and what they mean and what they were thinking.”

———–Exhibit October 8 to 24, 1977.  Pages unnumbered.

The reference to “the Thunderbird design” that Alma mentioned is what I refer to as the “Man Eagle design” in the “Category” list.  The reference to the “Butterfly design” that Alma mentioned is what I refer to as the “Siitalpuva” design under the “Folk Art Butterfly design” in the “Category listing.

For an earlier (unsigned) pot apparently made by Grace about 1940, see 1991-10. For a butterfly jar by Grace that is part of this collection, see 2010-22. A discussion of her extraordinary life (1874-1980), is part of the catalog entry for 1991-10.