Nampeyo and Annie Hopi-Tewa Pottery Bowl with Hanging Lug [SOLD]

A Mother-Daughter Masterpiece: Nampeyo and Annie Healing

This exceptional polychrome bowl represents more than just historic Hopi pottery; it is a document of the intimate collaboration between the legendary Nampeyo of Hano and her eldest daughter, Annie Healing Nampeyo.

The piece features a striking pictorial bird design, a functional hanging lug, and distinctive perforations around the rim. It carries a significant attribution from the late Marti Struever, a preeminent Santa Fe dealer and scholar of Hopi pottery.

The Attribution: Expert Insight

In an analysis dated April 11, 1997, Marti Struever identified this bowl as a collaborative effort:

"The polychrome bowl... is probably a collaboration effort of the renowned potter Nampeyo and her eldest daughter Annie. Nampeyo would have molded the vessel, and Annie would have done the painting."

Struever noted that the interior Sikyatki motifs are typical of the compositions used frequently by Nampeyo and her heirs. Mother and daughter worked so closely that distinguishing their individual work is a notorious challenge for historians. Several factors contribute to this:

The Shared Market: Nampeyo and Annie often displayed their unsigned wares together on a blanket in their yard.

Historical Misattribution: Early tourists and museum curators frequently assumed every piece was made solely by Nampeyo. In reality, while Nampeyo likely molded the majority, Annie was often the hand behind the brush.

Symmetry vs. Abstraction: If this attribution holds true, the "almost absolute symmetry" of the bird design is a hallmark of Annie's hand. While Nampeyo was known for a more fluid, abstract approach to Sikyatki designs, Annie brought a disciplined, precise symmetry to the family's work.

Visual Impact & Condition

The bowl possesses a profound visual richness. While it is beautiful from any angle, it is most striking when viewed face-on — a perspective beautifully facilitated by its custom display stand. This angle allows the viewer to appreciate the precision of the pictorial bird and the unique architectural elements of the rim.

Condition: this Hopi-Tewa Pottery Bowl with Hanging Lug by Nampeyo and Annie is in exceptional condition for a vessel of its age

Provenance: this Nampeyo and Annie Hopi-Tewa Pottery Bowl with Hanging Lug was from a gentleman from New Mexico and then from a private Arizona collection

Recommended Reading: Nampeyo, Hopi Potter: Her Artistry And Her Legacy by John Collins

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