Hopi pot with simple interior bird design and casual external design.

This small, relatively deep pot exemplifies a classic folk a tradition of elegance, humor, skill and a casual style that is both striking in its impact on the viewer and yet does not take itself too seriously. Although the bird image is carefully drawn, the hooked “antenna” gives it a sense of whimsy. The two exterior design panels are more casually drawn and are different. Overall, the use of blank space highlights the painting. The pot stands in sharp contrast to the formal, serious “fine art” pottery being produced by many younger potters. Although there is no direct evidence to link the two pots, a 1936 pot by Flora Ray in the MNA collection has a similar feel (Allen, 1984:68 and 116, #E5404).