Garnet Pavatea
Redware Corrugated
7 1/2"
H x 5 1/4" D
Garnet Pavatea (Asamana -
Mustard Flower Girl) was born in 1915 in the Hopi-Tewa village
of Hano on First Mesa. Her father was Hopi, her mother Tewa.
She began a long and productive career of pottery making around
1946 and continued until she passed in 1981.
Garnet was married to Womak
Pavatea and their daughter, Wilma Rose Pavatea, produced pottery
in the form of miniature jars from around 1950 to 1960. Garnet
herself was fond of making plain red bowls with a corrugated
band around the shoulder. Triangular indentations were a common
design found on her pieces. She also often made ladles to accompany
her bowls.
Like the Nampeyo family, Garnet
perfected a style all her own drawing many design elements from
ancient Sikyatki pottery shards. She often clashed with various
Nampeyos over the years (especially Fannie and Priscilla Nampeyo)
who accused her of stealing "their" designs. Garnet
would always reply that she believed the ancient pottery (and
the shapes of it and designs on it) belonged to all Hopis, not
just the Nampeyos.
During her lifetime Garnet
entered more than 400 pieces for judging in the Museum of Northern
Arizona's Hopi Artist Exhibition. She won an amazing total of
139 ribbons. Her pieces have long a favorite among collectors
of Hopi pottery.