Barbara Kramer - Nampeyo and Her Pottery

Nampeyo, the famous Hopi-Tewa potter (ca. 1860B1942), is known for the grace and beauty of her work, but very little accurate information has been available about her life. Romantic myths, cultural misunderstandings, and outright distortions have obscured both Nampeyo the artist and the person. Based on an exhaustive search of first person accounts, photographic evidence, and interviews with descendants, Kramer provides the only reliable biography of the artist. By the turn of the century, Nampeyo had revitalized Hopi pottery by creating a contemporary style inspired by prehistoric ceramics. Military men, missionaries, anthropologists, photographers, artists, and tourists all collected her unsigned work. This biography contributes to an understanding of changes on the Hopi reservation effected by outsiders during Nampeyos life and the complex response of American society to Native Americans and their art. Kramer also presents the first stylistic analysis of vessels made by Nampeyo.