2013-09 Small Incised Canteen

Canteens

This small canteen is Nathan Begaye sui generis, being his unique self. I am not aware of any other Pueblo ceramicist who uses decorating techniques even remotely similar to those used here, though Ed Wade links Begaye’s incising to prehistoric pottery of the eastern...

2013-06 Rain Dancer Canteen

Canteens, Kachina Design

Utilitarian canteens to haul water up the mesa to a home or carry a day’s supply of water into a field were common utilitarian items until the early part of the 20th Century. (See utilitarian ware in the Index of Categories.) The shape of these canteens was generally...

2013-02 Small Polacca Tourist Canteen with Lugs and Polychromatic Design

1880s to 1900 Transition Ware, Canteens

First People potters of the Southwest have long produced canteens necessary to carry drinking water to the cornfields. These utility canteens carry from several cups to a quart or more of water. (See “utility ware” in the Index of Categories for the variety of such...

2012-13 Canteen with a Variation of the Eagle-Tail Design and Lugs

Canteens

This canteen has a finely formed spout that is sloped slightly to the front—a characteristic of Nampeyo canteens (Struever 2001:108). The spout is quite thin, and although I cannot feel the walls of the canteen body directly, the lightness of the pot suggests that it...

2011-23 Canteen with Polik’Mana Face and Micaceous Red Slip

Canteens, Kachina Design, Polik'Mana

Beautifully formed and precisely polished and painted, this canteen is typical of the work of Loren Ami. Loren is a good representative of the creative energy unleashed at Hopi when it became acceptable for men to make pottery. The front third of the canteen is...

2010-11 Small Canteen with Variation of “Bird Hanging from Sky Band” Design

Bird Hanging from Sky Band Design, Canteens

Of the fifteen or so pots in the collection that were probably both made and painted by Nampeyo, this canteen, shallow dish 2002-03 and low-shouldered jar 2005-16 best represent the simple elegance that defines Nampeyo’s iconic style. The smooth white kaolin finish on...