Hopi Jar (Paqua's Jar)
Project
Patricia Dobson
Volunteer:
Date:
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Artist: Patricia Dobson
Print Sculpture: Hopi Jar (Paqua's Jar)
Art Vocabulary:
Additional Information on Pottery
I. The Artist
Patricia Dobson is a contemporary artist who was born in Sacramento, California in 1947 and who now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her interest in art and history goes back to her childhood, but she instead chose a medical career and started a family. It wasn't until she was 28-years-old that she decided to forego medicine and plunged into the world of the professional artist. She has been an artist now since 1975 and focuses her work on the painting and photographing of Native American Art.
When photographing the pottery of the Hopi Indians, Dobson had to get the right light, the right angle and have a good subject to photograph as well.
Photography is considered a fine art just the same as painting, drawing, sculpting, etc.
II. Hopi Indians
The Hopi Indians are one of several Pueblo Indian tribes who reside on a reservation in northeastern Arizona. Hopi means "peaceful ones" and the approximately 6,500 Hopi Indians that live on the reservation, live in a communal type style environment (remember from 3rd grade Social Studies?) and support themselves mainly through farming, raising livestock, and most importantly to our talk today, by making artwork, specifically jewelry and pottery.
The process the Hopi Indians use for making pottery goes back more than 2,000 years. It was the women who usually made the pottery although the men helped with the designs and some of the other labor intensive tasks. The pottery was used mainly as containers for food and water. Nowadays the pottery may be more art than functional but the techniques used to make it remain pretty much the same.
Clay is rolled between the palms of the hands and extended into long coils. Coil is formed into a ring, and the pot is built up by superimposed rings. Pottery wheels is not used. Explain coil method. Smoothed and shaped with a piece of gourd. A thin layer of clay and water, called slip, is applied to the entire piece. Buffed and polished with a rag to get smooth finish.
Baskets were similar weave.
Designs added: Paints made from various plants. Colors include black, white, green, blue, brown or rust.
Designs used are typically birds, feathers, geometrics and anything found in nature.
Piece is fired over a wood fire and covered with a tin cover to keep in heat.
Pottery making came to the southwest U.S. around 300 BC from northern Mexico. These traditional pottery methods and designs are still carried on today.
III. Composition
The Hopi earn additional income by making and selling baskets, pottery, silver jewelry, Kachina dolls. These dolls are carved out of wood and represent messages sent by the gods. Their religion is important. A ceremony is performed in underground structures called KIVAS. Color is very symbolic in Indian mind.
IV. Process for making Pottery
  • Clay is dug from deposits near each village. Different deposits can provide different colors. There is a great ceremony at the dig to show respect for the earth. Sometimes an offering may be left.
  • Many steps must follow after the clay is retrieved. It must be dried, soaked, washed, ground, sifted and sometimes tempered, but the Hopi usually don't find this last step necessary.
  • The next step is to form the pot. The clay is coiled, formed into the shape of the pot, then shaped with a piece of gourd. The pot is then dried, scraped and sanded for evenness and smoothness.
  • Next the slip is applied. Slip is clay mixed with water. It is applied with a rag and either polished or burnished before it dries. This is probably the most laborious process in making the pot.
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  • After the polishing, the design is applied to the pot. (Show chart with the various Hopi designs). Firing is the last step which is done by building a primitive "oven" in an open area, requiring a dry, clear, windless day.
  • A typical Hopi shape is a squat jar with a flattened shoulder and a small mouth. The asymmetrical designs are often bird forms and feathers, and occasionally Kachina forms which are Hopi messengers of God.
V. The Print
Hopi Jar (Paqua's Jar)
  • Actually 2 pieces of art in one (the pottery and the photograph).
  • What shapes do you see? Horizontal and vertical lines = calm.; Curves = soft movement; Geometric shapes - squares and triangles
  • Are there any patterns? Multiple and repeated patterns; intricate patterns
  • How do the colors affect the mood of the photograph? Soothing, harmonious earth tones; makes one think of nature
  • What is the perspective of the photograph? Can almost look down into the pot; Rather mysterious, pot appears to be floating in mid-air; A lot of empty space around the pot, but the pot itself has a lot of shapes touching each other
VI. Classroom Activity
Create a Hopi Jar with emphasis on patterns and color and symbolism.
  • Materials: Brown paper bags or cardboard or tagboard; construction paper or miscellaneous items to form patterns
  • Concept may be developed as a group activity or as individual projects.
  • Group: Picture person precuts large size gar that students add patterns to. Patterns are made at seats and aded one at a time for classroom control.
  • Individual: Each child is given a jar shape made from paper bag materials and then creates pattern at seat.
  • Pattern: Sponge printing
  • For younger classes: Pre-cut paper strips; pre-cut sponges into geometrics; mix paints
  • Print patterns with sponges dipped in paint and print on pre-cut strips.
Jars cut from grocery bags. The children are asked to design their own jar using cut pieces of sponge dipped in tempera paint. Each student did a different picture or scene. The idea went well. The paint wasn't the right texture.
Sculpt a functional vessel out of clay to illustrate Indian design and pattern. Clay materials is available in Cultural Arts Storage Area. Read directions. Is it air-dried or over-dried? Follow clay technique: kneading, etc. This may be a 2-part lesson.
  • Sculpt vessel first (a pattern in wet clay).
  • After drying, paint a pattern.
Additional information for projects

Additional Information on Pottery

Recommended: Trip to Field Museum, Indian Exhibit

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