Hopi Large Polished Red Wedding Vessel [SOLD]

Garnet Pavatea’s Hopi name translates in English to Flower Girl.  She was a Hopi-Tewa from the Tewa Village on First Mesa.  Her dad, Dewakuku, was Hopi and her mother was Tewa.  Following tradition, Garnet was of her mother's clan.

Hopi artisans owe much to Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton, co-founder with her husband of the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff.  She was instrumental in creating the Hopi Craftsman Exhibition in the early 1930s with the intent of fostering production of quality work.  She was concerned that traders were content to accept and sell mediocre work from Hopi craftsmen and were not interested in educating the public on quality crafts.  She organized the craft exhibit for the July 4th weekend every year and it has served her intent to greatly increase interest in quality Hopi crafts.

Garnet Pavatea (1915-1981) Flower Girl was a long-time entrant in the craft exhibit and won many awards by doing so.  She also seemed to be a favorite of the Museum of Northern Arizona.  She was often a demonstrator at the Craftsman Exhibition.  For a number of years, Adobe Gallery had a standing order from the Museum of Northern Arizona for any Garnet Pavatea pottery available.

This large stone-polished red wedding vessel has a beautiful, smooth, highly-burnished finish.  It is completely devoid of painted designs. She extended the polishing down into the interior of the vessel, a step that was not necessary but that demonstrates her attention to detail.

The vessel was constructed from all native materials and fired in a traditional outdoor firing.  It is signed Garnet Pavatea on the underside.

Condition: original condition

Provenance: from the collection of a family formerly of Albuquerque now living in Colorado

Recommended Reading: Contemporary Hopi Pottery by Laura Graves Allen