Nampeyo (1859 - 1942)
Nampeyo is credited with the renaissance of Hopi pottery at the turn of the 20th century. She was born in the Tewa village of Hano on First Mesa to a Tewa mother and Hopi father from Walpi. Her Hopi grandmother taught her pottery making at a young age, and by the time she became an adult, she was regarded as one of the finest potters at First Mesa. Nampeyo worked in typical Hopi style and technique, making “Polacca” or “crackle ware” pottery. Around 1890, she began to experiment with various clays and paints in the attempt to recreate the smooth, yellow pottery found at the pre-historic pueblo of Sikyatki on First Mesa. In 1895, the archaeologist Jesse Walter Fewkes excavated one of the ruins there, uncovering almost 500 vessels. Nampeyo and her husband Lesou copied many of the designs which they used in the “Sikyatki Revival.” This style met with instant commercial success and they could not keep up with the demand.
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