Adobe Gallery Blog
Hopi-Tewa Polychrome Seed Jar by Nampeyo of Hano - C3456B
This visually charming turn-of-the-century Hopi-Tewa jar demonstrates in style and technique all the hallmarks of Nampeyo's genius. The shape is derived from the bulbous shouldered saucer-shaped jars common to the prehistoric Sikyatki pottery tradition of the 15th and 16th centuries. Nampeyo favored, as illustrated in this vessel, a conical up-thrusting neck gracefully projecting from the jar's body without seam or flexure.
The design composition is perfectly complementary to the sculptural form of the vessel. The heavy unbroken black encircling upper body band separates the neck of the jar from its mid body. A single framing line just below the wide upper body band sets the parameter for laying out the design. The combination of avian designs and geometric elements points to the aesthetic of the designs of Nampeyo from 1900 through 1910.