Hopi Early Polacca Monochrome Bowl by Nampeyo of Hano

A Masterwork Pictorial Bowl by Nampeyo of Hano (c. 1895)

This extraordinary Polacca Polychrome pictorial bowl is a definitive example of the genius of Nampeyo of Hano (1857-1942). Created circa 1895, it dates to the pivotal period when Nampeyo began her revolutionary revival of ancestral Sikyatki designs, forever altering the course of Hopi ceramics.

Attributing unsigned 19th-century pottery to Nampeyo requires a keen eye for both sculptural form and a specific design repertory. This bowl provides a "textbook" example of her early work through two primary characteristics:  One of Nampeyo's most distinct physical traits is the added coil of clay on the interior of the rim, used to provide a specific weight and architectural profile to the bowl. She was the first to systematically incorporate motifs from the prehistoric Sikyatki period (A.D. 1375-1625). This bowl bridges the gap between the older Polacca tradition and the burgeoning Sikyatki Revival style.

The centerpiece of this bowl is a sophisticated Sikyatki spiral swirl. Nampeyo was clearly fascinated by this specific layout, utilizing it on several of her most famous large jars — superlative examples of which are currently held in the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1898, the famed archaeologist Jesse Walter Fewkes identified this specific spiral motif as representing a reptile. However, many of his contemporaries argued it was a depiction of the Feathered Serpent, a powerful deity associated with water and fertility.

While the layout appears simple, Nampeyo infused the design with a remarkable kinetic energy. The "sperm-like" or germinating elements swirling around the center add a sense of organic motion and visual tension, making the clay feel alive. She added a hanging lug so the bowl could be displayed on a wall.

Several specific motifs in this bowl serve as a "signature" of Nampeyo's work during this era: A particularly distinct motif is the black ball with projecting spikes. Nampeyo frequently used these to terminate a composition. Within the spirals, one finds two black-tipped triangles placed tip-to-tip. In the corresponding spiral, she cleverly substitutes these with a black ball "bisected" and placed back-to-back, separated by parallel lines — a sophisticated play on symmetry. Further confirmation is found at the rim, where groups of black dots fold down from the edge into the interior of the bowl, a frequent finishing touch in her early polychrome works.

Every element of this vessel — from the unique rim construction to the masterful tension of the painted design — unequivocally identifies it as the work of Nampeyo. As a pictorial work from the mid-1890s, it represents the exact moment Nampeyo was rediscovering the aesthetic power of her ancestors, making it a cornerstone piece for any serious collection of Pueblo pottery. 

I give credit to Dr. Ed Wade for details of Nampeyo's work as discussed above. He is a knowledgeable expert on her work and he is generous in sharing what he knows.

Condition: a very thin crack from the rim into the bowl about an inch. The bowl is still very stable.

Provenance: this Hopi Early Polacca Monochrome Bowl by Nampeyo of Hano is from the collection of a resident of New Mexico

Recommended Reading: Canvas of Clay: Seven Centuries of Hopi Ceramic Art by Edwin L. Wade and Allan Cooke

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