Hanging Plaque Basket with Mudheads by Pauline Quiyo [SOLD]

This beautiful plaque basket was created by Hopi Pueblo artist Pauline Quiyo.  It is a large, impressive piece, featuring four identical mudheads emerging from a central spiral.  Rain clouds circle the outer edge, pointing in towards the mudheads.  Rainbows link cloud formations to one another, creating a design that continues around the entirety of the rim.  When hung on a wall and viewed from a distance, this basket makes a strong impression.  A closer look is equally rewarding, as it will reveal the enormous amount of precise work required to create the piece.

The four colors seen here are all yucca leaves that have been split and treated in different ways.  The white background was made from sun-bleached yucca leaves.  The newer leaves in the center are used to make this white material.  The yellow color actually comes from the green outer leaves.  These green leaves are sun-bleached, left out in the rain, and then dried, resulting in the yellow color seen here.  The red and black colors are vegetal dyes, made from siita (or “Navajo Tea”) plants and sunflower seeds, respectively.  Commercial dyes are increasingly common for black designs, but the sunflower seed dyes are preferred by weavers when available.

Take note of the imbrication on the mudhead’s faces and hands and around the central beginning of the coiling.

This basket and artist image is featured on page 67 (see below) of Gregory Schaaf’s American Indian Baskets 1: 1,500 Artist Biographies.  Photo by Allan Nelson.

Pauline Quiyo (Quayo) is a Hopi basket maker who has been active since the 1970s. Gregory Schaaf’s American Indian Baskets 1: 1,500 Artist Biographies refers to Quiyo as a “master weaver.”  She is an Eagle Clan member and from the village of Mishongnovi.  Her preferred forms are plaques (“poota”) and bowls (“wukopotasivu”).

Condition: this Hanging Plaque Basket with Mudheads by Pauline Quiyo is in very good condition

Provenance: from the large collection of Allan Nelson, an avid Native American art collector.  Purchased directly from the artist.

Reference: Hopi Basket Weaving: Artistry in Natural Fibers, Helga Teiwes

Relative Links: Hopi Pueblo, Native American Baskets, Pauline Quiyo, Hopi Second Mesa Basket Maker