Kiva Birds

Artist Les Namingha born 1968 Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico

Date1994

Mediumstone polished and fired clay with pigment

Dimensions8 1/4 × 11 × 11 in. (21 × 27.9 × 27.9 cm)

ClassificationsCeramic

Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of the estate of Ruth and Sidney Schultz

Object numberPC2022.44.44

DescriptionA polychrome ceramic jar with geometric design in red and black slip adorning its body. The jar has a narrow base, wide shoulder, and narrow mouth.

On View

Not on view

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Indigenous Art, Culture, and Community: Works from the Ruth and Sydney Schultz Collection

on view 02/04/2023 - 07/23/2023

Kiva Birds incorporates geometric checkerboard and spiral patterns with complex abstract designs. The intricate bird designs were inspired by a pattern Les Namingha saw on a kiva wall. While Namingha does use processed clay for some works, he also harvests his own materials; the red pigment on this jar came from Cochiti Pueblo. Kiva Birds won second place in the twice-fired category at the 73rd annual Indian Market in 1994. Namingha is the great-grandson of Nampeyo of Hano, a legendary Hopi-Tewa potter who revived designs found on potsherds around Hopi.