“Eagle Wing”

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In the late 1800’s Hopi pottery experienced a historic change often referred to as Sikyatki Revival or Hano Polychrome, and was directly related to the new visitors coming to the Hopi mesas. This birth of contemporary Hopi pottery began the era of non-utilitarian pottery for trade for goods such as coffee, flour, sugar, cloth, and metal utensils. This pottery is the direct descendent of early decorated pottery of the Anasazi.
The abandoned pre-historic village of Sikyatki brought anthropologic interest, which in turn employed Hopi workers, and with it, exposure to the ancient ancestral ceramic wares. The designs were not copied exactly but were used as inspiration and mixed with individual cultural influence and artistic genius. Many of the shapes and forms previously lost, however, were brought back, such as this squat, wide-shouldered jar.
This eagle feather design surrounding a red square is an adapted example of a motif found at the Sikyatki ruins that has evolved into only the wing portion from a lateral view. Hopi pottery is made from a fine clay, enabling the potter to polish it with a smooth stone and apply mineral and vegetal paints directly onto the surface. This yellow ware is distinctly characteristic of today’s Hopi.