This Beautiful piece was handmade start to finish! The hand coiled and shaped clay was stone polished and then free-hand painted. This bowl features a Native American mask of a bird on one side and a stylized ear of corn on the other. The bold graphics blend nicely on the buff clay.
About 3.5” wide and 3.5” tall, it is signed Silas with a roadrunner hallmark. One of a kind, this unique piece will add a spark of interest to your home or office, no matter where you display it!
I have been unable to find additional information about this artist, but there are more than a few Silas family members who live and work on Polacca, First Mesa. They are referenced in Schaaf's, "Hopi-Tewa Pottery, 500 Artist Biographies".
Hopi-Tewa pottery is created on the Hopi Reservation which is located in northeastern Arizona. It is an area that is surrounded by the Navajo Reservation. Hopi consists of three Mesas, each of which has several villages. The Hopi-Tewa people speak the Tewa language and are primarily located in First Mesa in the villages of Hano and Polacca. They are descendants of the Tewa speaking Pueblo people of New Mexico who came to the Mesa around the time of the Pueblo Revolt in 1680. It is this group of artisans who are best known for their decorative pottery, especially the revival pottery of the ancient Sikyatki forms and designs. Sikyatki was located at the base of First Mesa. The pottery is carefully hand constructed using the coil and scrape techniques their ancestors taught them. The paints used are from naturally occurring materials. For example, black paint is made by boiling Bee-weed for a long time until it becomes very dark and thick. It is then dried into little cakes which are wrapped in corn husk until ready for use. The intricate and beautiful designs are painted freehand using a yucca leaf brush. The red and other colors are from natural clay slips. The pots are then fired in the open air out on the mesa using sheep dung and cedar as a heat source.
Excellent pre-owned condition with no chips or cracks
Please see photos for condition detail.
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