Hopi Polacca Seed Jar with Sikyatki Designs and Paper Label Remnant, Attributed to Nampeyo

This Hopi Polacca Polychrome seed jar from the early 20th century features a form and decorative style influenced by ancestral Sikyatki pottery. The low, wide body and refined proportions are consistent with jars attributed to Nampeyo of Hano. Painted on a yellow slip using mineral and vegetal pigments, the design includes square framing around the circular opening, a format closely associated with Nampeyo's interpretation of ancient Hopi symbolism.

A partial "Hopi Villages" paper label remains on the underside. While this label has often been used to support Nampeyo attributions, it also appears on pottery made by others during the same period, so it cannot be considered conclusive.

The painting across most of the surface suggests Nampeyo's hand, with confident brushwork and balanced compositions. However, the decoration around the neck is less controlled and falls outside the framing lines. This irregularity raises the possibility that it was painted later in Nampeyo's life when her eyesight had declined, or that the section may have been completed by an assistant or family member. Even so, the jar's form, color palette, and use of Sikyatki-inspired design elements remain consistent with her known work.

While attribution cannot be confirmed with certainty, this piece stands as a compelling example of early Hopi revival pottery, made during a time of cultural renewal, artistic experimentation, and growing outside interest in Pueblo ceramics.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: This Hopi Polacca Seed Jar with Sikyatki Designs and Paper Label Remnant, Attributed to Nampeyo is from the collection of a client of Adobe Gallery.

Recommended Reading: The Legacy of a Master Potter - Nampeyo and Her Descendants by Mary Ellen and Laurence Blair

TAGS: Hopi Pueblo, Fannie Polacca Nampeyo, Nellie Nampeyo Douma, Annie Healing Nampeyo, Nampeyo of Hano, Hopi-Tewa Potter and Matriarch