Rose Williams, Pot with Incised Decoration, ca. 1992, fired and incised clay with piñon pitch, 15 3⁄8 x 10 in. (39.1 x 25.4 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.183
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Pot with Incised Decoration
- Artist
- Date
- ca. 1992
- Location
- Dimensions
- 15 3⁄8 x 10 in. (39.1 x 25.4 cm) diam.
- Credit Line
- Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- fired and incised clay with piñon pitch
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Object — other — vase
- Object Number
- 1997.124.183
Artwork Description
Rose Williams makes traditional Navajo pottery, with no decoration apart from a biyo---a small circle of design just below the rim. The break in the biyo represents "the way out" for the spirit, and Navajo potters consider it bad luck to close this circle. The dark, smoky patterns on the surface of this pot are known as "fire clouds," and appear when clay is fired in an outdoor pit.