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
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
Subjects
  • 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.

Works by this artist (4 items)

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
Pot with Figurative Decoration
Artist
Dateca. 1992
fired clay with piñon pitch
On view
Faye Tso, Pot with Dancers with Headdresses and Rattles, ca. 1985, fired clay with piñon pitch, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.177
Pot with Dancers with Headdresses and Rattles
Artist
Dateca. 1985
fired clay with piñon pitch
On view
Faye Tso, Bean Pot with Incised Corn Maiden Figures, 1987, fired clay with piñon pitch, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.176
Bean Pot with Incised Corn Maiden Figures
Artist
Date1987
fired clay with piñon pitch
On view
Faye Tso, Head of Emmett, ca. 1985, fired clay with piñon pitch, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.175
Head of Emmett
Artist
Dateca. 1985
fired clay with piñon pitch
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

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Louis Naranjo, River Man with White Cross, ca. 1992, fired clay, slip, beeweed, stick, and leather, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.167A-B
River Man with White Cross
Artist
Dateca. 1992
fired clay, slip, beeweed, stick, and leather
On view
Betty Manygoats, Wedding Vase with Horned Toad Appliqués, 1988, fired clay with piñon pitch, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Mrs. Gibson Fahnestock, 1997.124.162
Wedding Vase with Horned Toad Appliqués
Artist
Date1988
fired clay with piñon pitch
On view
Lorraine Williams, Pot with Horned Moons and Geometric Designs, ca. 1991, fired clay with piñon pitch, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.181
Pot with Horned Moons and Geometric Designs
Artist
Dateca. 1991
fired clay with piñon pitch
Not on view
Lorraine Williams, Pot with Bear Paw, 1992, fired clay with piñon pitch and slip, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Elizabeth Stevens, 1997.124.180
Pot with Bear Paw
Artist
Date1992
fired clay with piñon pitch and slip
Not on view