Artist: Ida Pool Susunkewa
Tribe: Hopi
Dimensions: 3 ⅛ x 3 ¾
Ida Pool Susunkewa is a gifted potter from the Hopi tribe who creates authentic and traditional pieces using ancient techniques. The yellow clay used is associated with Hopi pottery.
She engages with traditional coil shaping, outdoor manure smothered firing practices and painting methods that use a single strain of the yucca leaf as her paintbrush- an absolute purist of the craft!
This polychrome piece is intricately decorated with a number of motifs. The stepping stairs are representative of the stairs leading out of the kiva and the feather patterns and spirals are both highly spiritual symbols. The spiral represents good luck and good fortune and the feathers each represent prayers to the gods. The bold clear black lines and geometric patterns tie the piece together beautifully.
Ida is from first mesa at Polacca, Arizona.