Vintage Hopi-Tewa Bird Motif Pot

Updated August 25, 2026

This auction ended on September 9, 2026. See upcoming auctions from Grasons Estate Sales of Southern AZ.

Lot number	26
Auction	Native Art, Vintage Bells & MCM Estate Treasures
Date	September 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM MST
Auction house	Grasons Estate Sales of Southern AZ
Location	Tucson, Arizona

Small hand-coiled Hopi/Hopi-Tewa pottery vessel measuring approximately 3" tall x 3" wide, decorated in black over a warm orange-red clay body. The design features a bold stylized avian or bird motif, including a curved beak-like element, textured feather detailing and linear geometric accents. Abstract and conventionalized bird imagery has a long history in Hopi pottery and continued prominently in historic and 20th-century Hopi work. The vessel also displays the characteristic paired horizontal framing lines frequently associated with Hopi Sikyatki Revival pottery decoration. Similar abstract bird compositions and framing-line treatments are documented in historic Hopi pottery collections. The underside bears a faint handwritten or penciled notation that appears to read “1-64.” I would not interpret this as an artist's signature based on the photographs; it looks more like a collection, inventory, price, or other notation. No identifiable artist signature is visible. This piece comes from the same collection of Southwestern Native pottery acquired primarily during the early 1980s, adding useful collection provenance, although the exact maker and date of this particular vessel are unknown. Vintage condition with minor surface wear, rubbing and natural irregularities consistent with handmade pottery and age. No artist attribution should be assumed from the underside notation. See photos for complete details and condition.

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