Pot with Applied Bird and Arrow Decoration

Sue Williams, Pot with Applied Bird and Arrow Decoration, ca. 1990, fired clay with piñon pitch, 17 ¹⁄₄ x 15 ¹⁄₂ in. (43.8 x 39.4 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.184

Artwork Details

Title: Pot with Applied Bird and Arrow Decoration
Artist: Sue Williams
Date: ca. 1990
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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Luce Foundation Center
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3rd Floor
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28B
Dimensions: 17 ¹⁄₄ x 15 ¹⁄₂ in. (43.8 x 39.4 cm) diam.
Credit Line: Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums: clay
Mediums Description: fired clay with piñon pitch
Classifications: Decorative Arts
Subjects: Animal — bird
Object Number: 1997.124.184
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.124.184

Artwork Description

Sue Williams made Pot with Applied Bird and Arrow Decoration using traditional Navajo techniques, but she gave her design a contemporary twist. Traditional Navajo pottery typically has little ornamentation, apart from a decorative band, called a biyo', just below the rim. A small break in the biyo' called the atin ("the way out") enables the potter’s life force to escape from the pot. The Navajo believe that during the process of creation the potter’s spirit is transferred to the vessel; thus it would be bad luck to close the circle and trap the maker's spirit within the pot. In this piece, Williams does away with both features and gives her geometric designs some sparkle by embedding glitter in the pitch coating.