First People Pots
  • Home
  • About the Collection
    • Introduction from the Collection Owner
    • Dedication
    • Some Uses of the Collection & Website
  • Appendices
    • Appendix A: Hopi Social History and the Transition from Polacca to Sikyatki Revival Style Pottery
    • Appendix B: A Tale of Two Pots: Ancient Sikyatki and bowl 1993-04: The Development of Nampeyo’s Style
    • Appendix C: Appreciations of Nampeyo
    • Appendix D: Ranking “Nampeyo” Pots
    • Appendix E: Nampeyo’s signed pottery, a history & theory
    • Appendix F: Nampeyo’s Design Elements
    • Appendix G: Stephen letter to Keam re Ayer collection
  • Works Cited
  • Press
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2025-13  Nampeyo playing with a Polacca pot

2025-13 Nampeyo playing with a Polacca pot

1880s to 1900 Transition Ware, Eagle Tail Design, Polacca Ware, White-slipped, Nampeyo

The neck is about 1.0-inch high. This rather worn and crudely-painted pot turns out to be a gold mine of information, but learning its story requires an extended investigation and discussion.  As a result of these discussions I can say with high confidence that jar...
2020-16  Transitional jar with “pure abstraction” designs

2020-16 Transitional jar with “pure abstraction” designs

1880s to 1900 Transition Ware, White-slipped, Nampeyo

The eccentricity of this pot makes the following analysis both complicated and detailed.  As a guide, this catalog entry has the following eight sections: I.     Introduction II.     Form III.   “Pure Abstraction,” an unusual design motif IV.    Design V....
2019-05  Polacca jar with eagle-tail design

2019-05 Polacca jar with eagle-tail design

1880s to 1900 Transition Ware, Eagle Tail Design, Polacca Ware

The iconic Nampeyo pot is a Sikyatki Revival low-shouldered jar with her eagle-tail design. This collection contains such a pot (2005-16) dating from about 1905. So identified is this design with Nampeyo that the pot is recognizable as “by Nampeyo” from...
2017-04 Tray with Polacca-style Polik’Mana interior, Sikyatki Revival exterior

2017-04 Tray with Polacca-style Polik’Mana interior, Sikyatki Revival exterior

1880s to 1900 Transition Ware, Kachina Design, Polacca Ware, Polik'Mana, White-slipped, Nampeyo

The two rectangular vessels in the collection This “tray” is really a painted tile surrounded by a 1.6-inch high wall. If it were only a tile, it would likely be one of the largest Nampeyo tiles known. One prehistoric example of this tray form is documented. Based on...
2015-12 Lobed white-slipped jar with feather motifs

2015-12 Lobed white-slipped jar with feather motifs

1880s to 1900 Transition Ware, White-Slip Ware, White-slipped, Nampeyo

The form of this jar is unusual; lobed pots are not generally made at Hopi. The painting features motifs that are typical of Nampeyo’s work. A notation on the bottom of the jar indicates that it was purchased in 1917.  Because Nampeyo had substantial visual impairment...
2015-03 Polacca wide-shouldered jar with Acoma–style birds

2015-03 Polacca wide-shouldered jar with Acoma–style birds

1880s to 1900 Transition Ware, Folk Art Bird Design, White-slipped, Nampeyo

Pot 2015-05, ca late 1880’s This is an engaging, beautiful jar. For all its beauty, it is also a jar of contradictions; from their interaction would come a renaissance of Hopi pottery. Jar 2015-03 allows us a glimpse into the creative mind of the young Nampeyo....
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Online catalog developed by Holly Chervnsik as part of Master of Arts in Humanities Thesis at University of Houston - Clear Lake
Email holly@suburbanbuzz.com for questions, comments or corrections to the information herein.
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