Native American Hopi Handbuilt and Handcarved Seed Pot with Hummingbird

Description

Native American Hopi Handbuilt and Handcarved Seed Pot with Hummingbird by Marty and Elvira Naha Nampeyo

This handbuilt seed pot with with deeply carved hummingbird was created by Hopi potters Marty and Elvira Naha Nampeyo. This style of pot is a seed pot. In the Fall, the women would take the seeds for next Spring and place them in these pots and then stack them. These pots would be placed in the corner of their home, stacked so the bottom of one pot would seal the top of the other. This storage technique would save space and keep the rodents from ruining next years' seed crop.

The Hummingbird (Tootsa) intervenes with the gods on behalf of the Hopi people to convince the gods to bring rain. During traditional ceremonies, the Tootsa bobs and calls like a bird while moving with great speed. His songs are prayers for moisture, to help nourish the plants and crops. He may also appear as a runner because he moves fast enough to catch an individual and whip him with his decorative staff. The Hummingbird Katsina appears in the Winter Kiva dances and the spring Soyohim dances. The Kiva night dances are performed in underground kivas, or ceremonial rooms. The Soyohim ceremony symbolizes the second phase of creation at the dawn of life and is celebrated during the winter solstice. The Hummingbird Katsina also participates in Katsina Night Dances of March, or the Angkwa, as a side dancer. We acquired this beautifully done piece through a private collector.