An Early Hopi Tile Showing a Kachina Face, Likely by Nampeyo of Hano, Before 1885

Hopi

Clay | Item 2213

This is an early and wonderful Hopi tile. The detailed figure has plenty of space around it to really set it off. The fine, sawtoothed border adds a sense of active tension when viewing the tile. The highly decorated kachina shows large earrings and a large and complicated hat. The neck is implied with a necklace just under the head. A crescent shape appears in the forehead area, perhaps a part of the hat hanging over the face? It has been suggested to me by a researcher that this is likely an early work by Nampeyo of Hano. While complicated and detailed, it is also somewhat loosely executed and for this reason is given the earlier date.

Dimensions 5 1/2" tall, 3 3/4" wide, 6/8" wide
Condition Very good with no breaks but a few surface chips
Provenance Private collection in Colorado
An early, Hopi kachina, large tile, dating to before 1885, likely by Nampeyo of Hano, available at the James Compton Gallery, Santa Fe, NM