Pottery

Marcy Burns American Indian Arts features Historic Pueblo and Hopi pottery. Historic pottery generally dates from 1870-1920s, although earlier pots occasionally surface. The railroads were completed in the West in the 1880s; thus, most pots were collected and sent home during that period or later.

Pots were rarely signed by artists until contemporary times, although there are exceptions that were the result of pressure from the marketplace (an example of this is the work of Maria Martinez, which she began signing in the 1920s).

The Hopi and Pueblo continued the Anasazi tradition of pottery-making, using local clays and minerals, polishing the pot with a smooth stone or piece of gourd, painting the design with a yucca brush, and firing the pot outdoors over an open fire made of dried dung and straw cakes.

Each Historic pot can usually be identified as to pueblo, age, etc. by the materials used, the techniques used in polishing and the details of the design. Occasionally a maker can be attributed, based on study of documented jars.

We carry a large inventory of pottery. Feel free to contact us if you would like to know the availability of specific types of pots.

Featured

Santa Clara jar by Effie Garcia

4.5” diameter x 2 3/4” high

coiled out of natural clay and slip

excellent condition

ex: Marcy Burns’ Collection, 1988

$475.

(MC2637)

Acoma large canteen

7” diameter x 8 1/4” high

natural clay and slip

excellent condition (normal spalling caused by tiny pebbles in the clay, as is to be expected in an Acoma pot of this period)

circa 1900-1920s

ex: Private Collection

SOLD

(P0534)

Santa Clara jar by Polly Rose Folwell

made out of natural clay and slip with one inset turquoise stone

5” diameter x 3 3/4” high

excellent condition

ex: Marcy Burns’ Collection, 1988

$450.

MC2635

Santa Clara jar

signed Grace Medicine Flower

3 1/4” high

natural clay and slip

excellent condition

ex: Bing Crosby, 1982; Marcy Burns Schillay Collection

circa 1982

$2900.

Acoma ornament by C Chino (Carrie Chino Charlie)

3 3/4” diameter x 3 7/16” high

native clay and paint. fired in traditional manner.

excellent condition

circa 1980s-1990s

$125.

(p0536)

Zuni pottery jar with frogs

Pottery jar from Zuni with 4 frogs

10” diameter x 7 7/8” high

circa late 19th-early 20th centuries

ex: Lovekin Collection, PA; Marcy Burns’ Collection

$6800.

(mc2620)

Hopi black on red shallow bowl

10 1/2” diameter x 3” high

natural clay and slip

attributed to Annie Healing Nampeyo

circa 1910-1920

excellent condition

ex: Private Collection

$5200.

(mc2614)

Santa Clara seed jar

4 3/4" diameter x 3 3/4" high

natural clay and slip, reduction fired

signed Grace Medicine Flower and Camilio Tafoya

very good condition with hairline cracks emanating up from the bottom of the jar

circa 1970s-1990s

$495.

(mc2386)

Navajo jar by Alice Cling

6.25” diameter x 5.25” high

excellent condition

ex: Private Collection

$525.

(mc2349)

Hopi polychrome canteen attributed to Nampeyo

circa 6” high x 6” diameter at widest location

excellent condition

circa 1900-1910

ex: Private Collection by descent

This is a wonderful Hopi canteen. The quality and form of the pot as well as of that of the painted design clearly indicates that the canteen was likely made by Nampeyo, who is considered the Matriarch of contemporary Hopi pottery. The design is known as “Sikyaki Revival” and is known to have been used by Nampeyo.

This Nampeyo canteen is very fresh to the market. It came out of a private collection that we recently purchased.

[The rawhide strap(s) were removed and are not on the canteen anymore. They were likely not original to the canteen].

$3200.

(P0530)