Helen Naha
Featherwoman
Jar
4 1/4"
H x 9 1/2" D
Helen Naha (1922–1993)
was the matriarch in a family of well known Hopi potters.
She is the daughter-in-law of Paqua Naha (the first Frog Woman).
Helen was married to Paqua’s son Archie. She was mostly
self-taught, following the style of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law
Joy Navasie (second Frog Woman).
Her designs are often based
on fragments found at the Awatovi ruins near Hopi. Her hallmark
style was finely polished, hand-coiled pottery finished in white
slip with black and red decorations. She would often take the
extra step to polish the inside of a piece as well as the outside.
She signed her pottery with a feather glyph (shown in inset).
This resulted in her being called “Feather Woman” by
many collectors. Both of her daughters, Sylvia and Rainy (Rainell),
as well as her granddaughter Tyra are well known potters.
Today, her medium to larger
pots typically sell for several thousand dollars. She has also
been recognized by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts
for her body of work through the creation of the Helen Naha Memorial
Award - For Excellence in Traditional Hopi Pottery.
References:
Dillingham, Rick. Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery. Foreword
by J. J. Brody. University of New Mexico Press, (reprint edition)
1994. ISBN 0-8263-1499-6
Schaaf, Gregory. Hopi-Tewa
Pottery, 500 Artist Biographies. Edited by Richard M. Howard,
CIAC Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, ISBN 0-9666948-0-5
Graves, Laura. Thomas Varker
Keam, Indian Trader. University of Oklahoma Press, 1998. ISBN
0-8061-3013-X
