Hopi 1976 Corn Design Jar by Al Qöyawayma [SOLD]

This gorgeous pottery vessel was created by Hopi Pueblo artist AL Qöyawayma.  It is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to study Qöyawayma’s works up close.  The artist—a potter, sculptor, and mechanical engineer—creates some of the finest contemporary Hopi pottery.  This large, highly polished plainware piece is a wonderful example of Qöyawayma’s exceptional craftsmanship and sophisticated artistry.

The vessel is a wide, low seed jar with a rim that turns up and then outward.  It’s a unique take on a classic Hopi form.  Three corn designs—identical, beautiful, and crafted with care—protrude from the jar’s surface.  No other designs are present, and the sparsely decorated look is perfect for this vessel.  The soft tan tone and exceptional polish are incredibly alluring.  Qöyawayma’s work with this contemporary seed jar is exceptional in every way.

The jar is dated, signed and numbered “1976, Qöyawayma, Q13F” on its bottom.

Alfred H. Qöyawayma (1938- ) is one of the most famous contemporary Hopi potters.  He entered the art scene around 1970 and is still actively making pottery.  Qöyawayma attributes his pottery style to his aunt, the famous Hopi potter Elizabeth White (or “Polingaysi Qöyawayma'').  It was she who started the all-natural clay pottery without slip and with the appliqué corn design.

“Al Qöyawayma is a ceramic artist, potter, and bronze sculptor. He's also a thinker of great thoughts, a Fulbright Scholar, a co-founder of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, a featured artist at the Smithsonian’s permanent Archives of American Art as well as a physicist, astronomer, anthropologist, engineer, and educator.” (Indian Country Today)

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Hopi 1976 Corn Design Jar by Al Qöyawayma is from a private collection

Recommended Reading: AL QÕYAWAYMA Hopi Potter, Exhibit at Santa Fe East, Santa Fe, 1984

Relative Links: Western Sculpture: Bronze, Contemporary Pottery, Hopi Pueblo, Elizabeth White - Polingaysi, AL Qöyawayma, Hopi Pueblo Artist