Welcome to
First People Potsan online catalog of 600+ pieces of Native American artwork owned by a private collector, described by Cowboys & Indians Magazine as “a valuable resource for collectors, galleries, and scholars.”
2024-04 Corn vase
Corn is at the core of Hopi life and no pot in the collection makes this statement more directly than this vase. A few pots in this collection depict painted images of corn (1999-10, 2010-08 and 2012-07) and other...
2024-03 Ellipsoid bowl with curvilinear avian design
The width of the bowl is 9.375 inches. The lowest height is 2.6875 inches. The large size of this bowl is unusual, as is its shape. To my eyes its curvilinear design is the most powerful ever...
2024-02 Bi-lobed early 20th century canteen
One lobe has a maximum diameter of 2.6875-inches. The second lobe has a maximum diameter of 3.0-inches, 12% larger. There is a 0.875-inch gap between the two lobes. The bimodal shape of this canteen is unique and...
2024-01 Carved and painted half-kaolin-slipped vase
Hopi pottery is traditionally a women’s craft, so when men began making pottery in the mid-1970’s many of their women folk were not pleased. Katchina carving is a traditional male craft, however,...
2023-13 Early career Tawa bowl by Jean Sahme
The opening ranges from 8.5 to 9.1875 inches. The design on this bowl is simple but striking. It is also ancient and persistent. The six sets of chevrons on the rim of bowl 2023-13 are unique in this collection, while the...
2023-12 Long Hair Katsina tile
The fine-line migration design has become a standardize design used by potters at Hopi, and, at first glance, that is what one’s eye sees here. Randall Sahmie (1950-2008) is best known for his katchia carvings and painting. He was an...
