Rainy Naha
Hopi Quail
Second Place
Heard Museum 2008
6" H
x 7 1/2" D
Beating out hundreds of other
entries, Rainy won Second Place at the Heard Museum show with
this beautiful and orginal Hopi Quail jar. The Heard Market 50th
Anniversary ribbon accompanies the piece.
We've seen Rainy's eagles,
parrots, and hummingbirds, but this was the first time we've
seen this charming Quail motif. The design lends itself very
nicely to the overall shape of the pot - wth broad shoulders
and a narrow, but graceful neck.
True to form, Rainy has outdone
herself with a varied palette of traditional pigments. Applied
throughout a series of abstract pottery designs, this work of
art captures your attention and imagination at once.
Rainy Naha was born in 1949
into the Spider/Stick clan as the daughter of Helen Naha (Feather
Woman) and the grand-daughter of Paqua Naha (the original Frog
Woman). Her siblings include Sylvia Naha Humpheries (d.) and
Burell Naha.
Of all Naha family decendents,
Rainy is perhaps the most prolific in her perpetuation of the
pottery tradition. Having won numerous awards, including blue
ribbons at the prestigious Santa Fe Indian Market, the Eight
Northern Indian Art Show, and the Annual Heard Museum Show, it
is easy to see how such meticulous detail and innovative design
has taken Rainy's work to the top.
Rainy has been an active potter
for more than thirty years, and very active during the last ten.
She was taught by her mother, and signs all of her work with
her mother's hallmark feather, along with her name, "Rainy."
Thin walled vessels in both
traditional and contemporary shapes are the basis for her work.
Her work is primarily Hopi
clay with a white slip applied before the polychrome designs,
sometimes known as Walpi Polychrome. All of her pieces are made
using traditional clay, paints, and methods of forming and firing.
Hummingbirds and parrots,
bear paws and clouds are Rainy's additions to her family's designs.
In addition to her imagery, Rainy has also added more clay slips
to her work with the pieces often having up to five different
colors.
