Nampeyo of Hano, a Hopi Tewa, is considered the Matriarch of modern Hopi pottery. Beginning in the late 19th century and continuing until blindness stopped her from painting pots in the 1920s, Nampeyo produced many of the most beautiful pots made during this period.

Nampeyo was a master in all aspects of Hopi pottery making, from the digging of the best clay, the preparation and shaping of the clay, and the elegant painting of the design. She was an innovator within a relatively isolated community  that discouraged individual distinction from the community.

This pot is a wonderful example of the quality of her best work. The design is an amplified "bird's wing" from the migration pattern. The form is one that Nampeyo revived from having seen prehistoric Sikyatki polychrome pots excavated at the time by archaeologists (helped by Nampeyo's husband Lesou). 

Fired over an open fire made of dried sheep dung and straw, this Hopi jar has gorgeous coloring that accentuates the sweep of the design.