Seed Jar

Across the top half of this jar, stepped patterns and feathery motifs join to create a dynamic sense of movement. The broad proportions of the vessel reconfigure a form of ancient ceramics used to store seeds. The shoulder, here wider than ancient models, provides an expansive area for painting. This work employs a style of pottery called Sikyatki Revival, which began in the 1880s and extends to the present day. For over a century, Hopi artists in Northern Arizona have experimented with imagery and vessel shapes based on ancient pottery called Sikyatki Polychrome, named after the site that features those sherds.