Pot with Figurative Decoration

Faye Tso, Pot with Figurative Decoration, ca. 1992, fired clay with piñon pitch, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.178
Copied Faye Tso, Pot with Figurative Decoration, ca. 1992, fired clay with piñon pitch, 20 5⁄8 x 15 5⁄8 in. (52.4 x 39.7 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.178

Artwork Details

Title
Pot with Figurative Decoration
Artist
Date
ca. 1992
Location
Dimensions
20 5⁄8 x 15 5⁄8 in. (52.4 x 39.7 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
fired clay with piñon pitch
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure group — male
  • Indian — Navajo
  • Dress — Indian dress
Object Number
1997.124.178
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.124.178

Artwork Description

Faye Tso decorates many of her pieces with Ye’i (deity figures), corn maidens, and ceremonial scenes to express Navajo beliefs and rituals. She experiments with different clay slips, and often applies the dung of sheep, goats, and cattle to the clay during the firing process (Chuck and Jan Rosenak, The People Speak: Navajo Folk Art, 1994). This changes the color of the clay from a golden orange to a deep brown or black.