Hopi Tall Cylindrical Vase by Frog Woman

Masterful Creation: The Art and Legacy of Joy Navasie, the Second Frog Woman

This polychrome pottery cylindrical vase was made by Hopi-Tewa potter Joy Navasie—the second "Frog Woman." With an appealing shape and strong designs, the jar is a fine example of Navasie's work. The vase is tall with a slight increase in diameter from the base to the rim. The jar was slipped in white clay over which was applied the design using three pigment colors—black, red, yellow. The design has a variety of bird elements. Take note of the strong curved beak and the variety of feathers. The white slip was applied to the entire surface and to about three inches on the inside below the rim. Frog Woman's frog hallmark is prominently displayed on the underside.

Joy Navasie (1919-2012), second Frog Woman—Yellow Flower, was born in 1919 on Hopi Pueblo's First Mesa, the daughter of Paqua Naha, the first Frog Woman. Navasie recalls that she began making pottery at the age of 17. She learned to make pottery from her mother. Her distinctive decorative style is instantly recognizable, as she used a white slip, over which she painted dark brown and rust color designs. Her skillful application of bird, water, and sky elements around perfectly formed pots was and still is unique. She was a master at the craft.

Condition: very good condition with some minor paint abrasions

Provenance: this Hopi Tall Cylindrical Vase by Frog Woman is from the collection of a client of the gallery

Recommended Reading: Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery by Rick Dillingham

TAGS: Hopi-Tewa, Paqua Naha, Pueblo Pottery, Loretta Navasie Koshiway