2017-07 “Desert Sunrise” Tawa plaque

2017-07 “Desert Sunrise” Tawa plaque

This plaque is a simplified representation of Tawa, the Hopi sun god. Compared to other Begaye pots, the design is strikingly simple, though powerfully kind. It is easy to smile in response, as when I gaze at a statue of the Buddha. More poignant are Nathan’s...
2017-06 Canteen with winter moon face

2017-06 Canteen with winter moon face

This canteen carries a magnificent, detailed and unsettling image with a blessing message. While this pot has the bulbous shape of a typical Hopi canteen, Nathan made the bottom flat for ease of display. Judging from the interior of the spout, the raw clay fired a...
2017-05 Three-lug redware canteen

2017-05 Three-lug redware canteen

Nampeyo frequently formed canteens, but the flat shape, red slip and three-lug configuration of canteen 2017-05 make this an unusual vessel. This form is not a Native shape and is testimony to Nampeyo’s powers of observation and willingness to innovate. The unusual...
2017-03 Large Polik’Mana tile

2017-03 Large Polik’Mana tile

This tile is extraordinary by every criterion: size, shape, blushing and painting. The design is instantly recognizable as a Polik’Mana, but it is a modern interpretation of what can be a fairly static traditional design. (See other Polik’Mana renditions under...