Nampeyo's Sikyátki Revival Transforms Pueblo Pottery into Modern Art

Nampeyo (1859–1942), a potter from Hano village in Arizona belonging to the Hopi-Tewa tribe, played a pivotal role in the Sikyátki Revival during the late 1800s. She acquired her pottery skills from her grandmother and began selling her creations at trading posts in the 1870s. Her success flourished alongside the expansion of railroads and tourism, supported by trader Thomas Keam and the Fred Harvey Company. Following Jesse Walter Fewkes' excavations at Sikyátki in 1895, she incorporated ancient designs into her pottery, producing remarkable vessels. A polychrome jar fetched $350,000 at Bonham's in 2010. Even after nearly losing her sight in the 1920s, she persisted in her craft with assistance from her daughters. Recent exhibitions have sparked renewed scholarly interest, particularly from researchers like Diane Dittemore and Glenn Adamson.