Munsi (“Kaniela Zacarias”), like her brother Kaii, is seven generations removed from Nampeyo through the line of her eldest daughter Annie. This is about as long a run of family potters as I am likely to find in this lifetime.

Munsi made this pot when she was 17 years old. See the story of Munsi’s involvement with bowl 1999-10 when she was three. For a pot she helped make when she was about five years old, see 2009-22. Brother Kai helped decorate a tile when he was age 3, see 2009-12; a pot he made ten years later is 2013-20. For pots Munsi’s mother made when she was seven, 26 and 33 years old, see 1994-18, 1998-09, and 2006-13. For pots by her grandmother, see Jean Sahme in the Index of Artists.

Vase 2013-19 is well formed and fairly thick for its size: just what you might expect for a young woman learning to pot. The polishing is exceptionally smooth, almost slick. Thick-above-thin framing lines border the design and a break-line cuts the upper frame. On one side, there is a basket-like motif with 10 dots in the handle and seven pendant triangular shapes hanging from the handle’s lower edge. The body of the basket is formed of seven rows of checkered squares and the basket holds two red half egg-like forms. The obverse displays a design composed of a red square and black and stippled triangular shapes and exhibits “background/foreground reversal.” Grandmother Jean says she “talked through” the design with Munsi but that the final design and painting were by the younger woman.

Purchase History:
About two years ago, I asked Jean if she could request Munsi to make this pot. Munsi did so during several visits her grandmother’s home. When I visited Jean in March of this year the pot was made but not sanded, polished or painted. While I was at Hopi for the 2013 Barbara Chester Award ceremony, Jean called me in Texas and said the pot was ready. Mike McMullen and I picked it up at Jean’s home on 10/10/13. [No receipt.]