Jar

Nathan Begaye Native American
ca. 1990
Not on view
This compelling jar by Begaye is one of the largest he produced. Using traditional materials and techniques—interpreted in innovative, modern ways—Begaye was inspired by his aunt Otellie Loloma to make pottery that reflected his Hopi and Navajo heritage in form and content. In this work, he painted the Hopi Sun Katsina in both a traditional manner and in the contemporary guise of a naked man. He viewed clay as a living thing, and compared pottery making to "giving the earth a chance to live."

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Jar
  • Artist: Nathan Begaye (Native American, Hopi and Navajo, Arizona, 1958 (?)–2010)
  • Date: ca. 1990
  • Geography: Object place Arizona, United States
  • Medium: Ceramic
  • Dimensions: H. 15 1/2 x Diam. 13 1/4 in. (39.4 x 33.7 cm)
  • Credit Line: Ralph T. Coe Collection, Gift of Ralph T. Coe Foundation for the Arts, 2011
  • Object Number: 2011.154.172
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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