Large Sienna Vase

Turquoise, hishi and silver, along with an abundance of imagination, lend themselves to the visionary art of Tony Da. The vase, lower left, is a $2,700 Additive First Award Winner.

Indeed decided to limit themselves) and, too, a number of pieces by the Maria family, artists related in a sense the Peales, for instance, were not. Pueblo pots are much more suited to joint creation than paintings, say, which can only lose if they are group. But with clay the separate labours of design, painting and glazing or polishing, firing may be divided without damage to the concept as a whole. Here is a reflection, possibly, of the communal Indian philosophy, directly in opposition to the high European pride in single inspiration. Cellini would never have split the credits on a saltcellar, but a Pueblo family works from a feeling of continuity and shared achievement which regards partnership as doubling the reward of art instead of cutting it in half. So pottery by the family of one matriarch, Maria Martinez of San Ildefonso Pueblo, was consciously accumulated and filled in by another family, period by period, which means partnership by partnership, beginning with the joint signature, "Marie-Julian," and ending with Popovi. In the process the Lyons developed some illuminating "collecting family" guide-lines.

First of all, two heads, meaning that both spouses must want the work in question, or to put it another way, according to the feminine head, "one impulsive and one level." Then, "You have to live with your things. We have one rule: never anything in a closet. I couldn't live with these things in a vault; that would be like stocks."

Admirable, but easier when some of the family are not toddlers. The collection is therefore displayed along the walls, on tables and in cabinets, with care but clearly a part of each day's surroundings. In a part and parcel policy of houserules, the children are early on impressed with the idea that these things are pretty, and something pretty is not to be mishandled. The actual demonstration is remarkable they don't.

Along with their work, the artists have been there, too. As Dennis Lyon says, "If you really get into collecting, you should know the artist, and here in the Southwest, where they are living, how could you not try to? That has brought an element of meaning into all this. They are such interesting people. Tony Da and I have sat up all night; I could talk to Helen Cordero for a week."

Collectors Choice

And speaking of other artists, comes the question of comparative values. The Maria family, whose work is at this time as famous and sought after as any, is also as expensive. What does this determine price or worth? According to Dennis Lyon, price. "As an example, Helen Cordero's pieces, the ceramic figures, are among our most valued, but they are not our most expensive. And she has a waiting list to last her the rest of her life. In comparing investments, even though Indian art and Indian artifacts are hot items now, you have to forget some of that. It is the real quality pieces, not necessarily the most expensive, that will have a lasting value. Still, there is no doubt that money helps. If you are going to buy, you need money, at least initially. After that the barter."

How much money? There's the question. Collectors' purses, like their collections, come in all sizes. And the collectors' philosophies vary, too. Marlys Livermore is another kind of pot collector. She started some years back, drawn to begin with, as she tells it, "because I wanted to follow an interior decoratShe is a school teacher and her husband is a lawyer. She does not dip into family funds for her purchases, nor, contrariwise, does she ask his opinion on what she decides she wants. It's all her own. Contemporary pottery, though she collects it, forms only a small part of her acquisition, which is mainly prehistoric.

That is because her primary motive is not aesthetic. She says, "I like the contemporary stuff. It's made much better. There's no question that it's artistically better. A lot of what I have isn't even beautiful, but for me the important thing is the story."

If the story leads to contemporary pottery, she seeks it out. "I love the Hopi. You can go back and find the Jeddito in that. What happened is that Nampeyo was living on the reservation and a group of archeologists dug up some. She saw it and thought it was beautiful and wanted to try the same thing. So now she's supposed to be the mistress of fine line, done with a yucca brush. That's where she got it."

And as for the investment part? "That isn't it for me. I'm not in this to make money. It's not a business. In fact, a lot of things I'm interested in aren't that valuable. Somehow it's the essence of the way people live."

More than that, it becomes a part of the way collectors live. That is the key to what makes a collector. Neither bottomless funding, nor erudition, nor prestige make the difference, but whether it changes and enriches someone's life.

The zest for beauty is a joy forever.

Nampeyo Prestigious exhibition

To honors five generations of world famous Hopi pueblo potters.

Nampeyo, one of the most famous names in the world of pottery and Indian art, is responsible for the revival and revitalization of fine Hopi pottery. To honor her outstanding talent and devotion to her craft, the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton, California is planning a comprehensive exhibition, "Nampeyo, Hopi Potter, Her Artistry and Her Legacy." Opening on April 18, this display will feature five generations of the art and pottery of Nampeyo and her descendants. Many private collectors and museums, including the Smithsonian Institution, are lending thousands of dollars of pottery and other works to be shown in the Muckenthaler galleries. This exhibition, continuing through May 26, is partially supported by the National Endowment of the Arts.

Born around 1860 in the First Mesa village of Hano in Arizona, Nampeyo learned the art of pottery as a small child and quickly became the equal of any potter in the village. Nampeyo's early work followed traditional Hopi designs which were influenced by the Zuni. However, at the turn of the century, her inspiration stemmed from the ancient pottery excavated from the prehistoric pueblo of Sikyatki. After a time she realized that these motifs did not lend themselves to the old Hopi forms and she began to modify the shapes of her pottery. Nampeyo's work became distinguished by a sense of freedom and a fluid, flowing quality of design, together with an appreciation of space as a background for her bold, rhythmic forms.

Nampeyo was invited to attend many exhibitions to demonstrate her pottery making. Her outstanding work soon became known and her fame spread. Because of this exposure, a great demand arose for her beautiful pottery. Nampeyo saw her craft as a means of helping her family and the Hopi people to better themselves financially. Encouraged by her success, other women in the village, including Nampeyo's own daughters, turned to pottery as a means of support. It has become the basic craft of First Mesa.

Nampeyo's work is represented in museums and galleries throughout the world. Her creations are some of the most sought after items by collectors and authorities in Indian art. However, success did not weaken her art. Even though her eyes eventually failed, her fingers remained sure. Her husband, Lesou, did the decoration of her pots after she could no longer see. Lesou died in 1932 but their work was carried on by their daughters who had learned well and proudly their mother's art.

A collector's gem is the catalog printed by Northland Press, Flagstaff, Arizona, with foreword by Barton Wright, Curator, Museum of Northern Arizona. The 9 x 12 inch, 50 page catalog is profusely illustrated with examples especially selected from the many private collectors and museums and includes a 16 page introductory text by Dr. John E. Collins. Price is Five dollars per copy.

Curator of the Nampeyo exhibition is Dr. John Collins of Fullerton. Both he and his wife, Eileen, are avid collectors of contemporary Indian pottery. This finally led them to the fascinating story of Nampeyo and her descendants. Dr. Collins has been involved in the organization of other Indian arts and crafts exhibitions at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center, at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and at the All-Indian Week in Pomona.

Gallery hours for "Nampeyo, Hopi Potter, Her Artistry and Her Legacy" are 1-5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. The Muckenthaler Cultural Center is located at 1201 W. Malvern in Fullerton, California.☐☐☐ One of Nampeyo's great-granddaughters told me, "The 'Old Lady' (Nampeyo) told us that we should learn to make pottery because it would be something to provide us a living. She knew this was true for her children and grandchildren and also for all Hopi potters. She had the vision to know this, and it has proven to be true. She was concerned with all the Hopi, not just with her own family." Following this advice, her three daughters, Annie, Fannie, and Nellie, learned pottery-making and have become famous in their own right.

JOHN E. COLLINS

HOPI ARTIST HER ARTISTRY AND HER LEGACY