Large Hopi-Tewa Seed Jar with Shard Designs by James Garcia Nampeyo

This seed jar showcases the exceptionally refined artistry of James Garcia Nampeyo, both as a master potter and a skilled painter. Hand-coiled with remarkable symmetry and balance, the vessel features exceptionally thin walls — an impressive feat in traditional Hopi-Tewa pottery. The surface is finished with a beautifully polished yellow-orange slip, subtly varied in tone, reflecting age-old firing techniques.

Encircling the entire top above the shoulder is a striking array of shard, or "sherd," designs — distinctive interpretations that blend James's personal visual language with classic Hopi imagery. Executed in a combination of polychrome tones — dark brown and red on a yellow-orange slip — the motifs are striking and visually rich. They are further enhanced with stippling and delicate scraffito. This technique involves incising fine lines down to the base slip, adding both line and precision to the design.

Signed James G. Nampeyo with his ear of corn hallmark insignia on the bottom. He was a member of the Corn Clan at Hopi Pueblo and he usually signed his name and included his hallmark corn clan symbol. This jar is a clear testament to Nampeyo's deep lineage and legacy. A fourth-generation potter, James Garcia Nampeyo (1958-2019) is the great-grandson of Nampeyo of Hano, grandson of Fannie Polacca Nampeyo, and son of Leah Garcia Nampeyo. Since the mid-1970s, he had upheld and evolved his family's celebrated pottery tradition with remarkable skill.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: This Large Hopi-Tewa Seed Jar with Shard Designs by James Garcia Nampeyo is from the collection of a family from Albuquerque, New Mexico

Recommended Reading: Contemporary Hopi Pottery by Laura Graves Allen, 1984

TAGS: Hopi Pueblo, Nampeyo of Hano; Fannie Polacca Nampeyo, Leah Garcia Nampeyo, Hopi Pueblo, Southwet Indian Pottery, James Garcia Nampeyo, Hopi-Tewa Potter