Nampeyo Small Historic Hopi Dish with Palhikmana Katsina [SOLD]

Dating to the first decade of the twentieth century, this small Hopi dish exemplifies early 20th-century Hopi pottery through its form, materials, and iconography. Measuring 2 inches in height and 5-¼ inches in diameter, it is made from yellowish clay with a cream slip and decorated in polychrome.

The interior features a striking full-surface depiction of Palhikmana, one of the few female katsina spirits in Hopi Pueblo tradition. She is distinguished by her elaborate tablita headdress — here rendered with expressive fluidity and artistic license — and rainbow markings on her chin. While the eagle feathers of the tablita are very stylized, the overall composition remains true to traditional representations of the spirit.

The design is framed by two fine black lines, each interrupted by a spirit line, a meaningful element in Hopi pottery that allows a path for the potter's talent to escape. Rich in cultural symbolism and finely executed, this dish is a compelling example of historic Hopi ceramic artistry.

Stylistically, this dish strongly suggests the work of Nampeyo of Hano, particularly in the type of clay and the distinctive painting style. However, a closer look reveals that the thicker interior rim coil — an identifying feature of many of Nampeyo's works — is absent. While this detail may have been omitted due to the vessel's small size, its absence prevents a definitive attribution to Nampeyo.

Condition: very good condition with a barely visible hairline crack extending downward from the rim

Provenance: This Nampeyo Small Historic Hopi Dish with Palhikmana Katsina is from the collection of a family from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Recommended Reading:

- Hopi-Tewa Pottery: 500 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf

- Fourteen Families In Pueblo Pottery by Rick Dillingham.

- The Legacy of a Master Potter: Nampeyo and her Descendants by Mary Ellen and Laurence Blair

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