How a Hopi Potter Named Nampeyo Became a 19th-Century Art Star

Nampeyo revived ancient Hopi ceramics—and reshaped the course of modern craft. Now she's back in the spotlight.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 4:22pm

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A striking abstract composition of jagged geometric shapes and bold black silhouettes, representing the iconic Hopi pottery designs and forms that Nampeyo revived and innovated upon, capturing the sense of her pioneering artistic vision and enduring impact.Nampeyo's innovative Hopi pottery designs and forms have left an indelible mark on the history of modern ceramics.First Mesa Today

Nampeyo (1859-1942) was a pioneering Hopi potter who helped revive the Sikyátki style of polychrome pottery in the late 19th century. By adapting ancient designs and techniques, she transformed Pueblo pottery into a globally recognized modern art form. Nampeyo's innovative works sparked the Sikyátki Revival and made her a near-celebrity figure, with her pieces highly prized by collectors today. Though her name remained largely unknown outside of specialist circles, Nampeyo's legacy is now being celebrated through major exhibitions that highlight her influential role in the history of modern ceramics.

Why it matters

Nampeyo's story sheds light on the complex history of Indigenous art and craft in the United States, as well as the shifting dynamics between Native communities, archaeological excavations, the emerging museum industry, and the rise of tourism in the American West. Her innovative approach to traditional Hopi pottery techniques and designs helped establish Pueblo ceramics as a celebrated modern art form, paving the way for generations of Indigenous artists.

The details

Born in 1859 in the Hano village on First Mesa in Arizona, Nampeyo learned pottery-making from her paternal grandmother. By the 1870s, she was selling her works at trading posts throughout the region. In 1895, the excavation of the prehistoric Hopi village of Sikyátki had a major impact on Nampeyo's artistic practice, as she began adapting the ancient motifs and forms she observed there into her own innovative ceramic works. Nampeyo became known for her distinctive 'flying saucer' jar shapes and eagle tail designs, which were part of the Sikyátki Revival style she helped establish. Her pottery was in high demand, with Nampeyo and her family becoming full-time craft specialists supplying traders, museums, and the burgeoning tourism industry in the American West.

  • In 1875, photographer William Henry Jackson visited the Hopi mesa and photographed the then 15-year-old Nampeyo.
  • In 1895, the excavation of the prehistoric Hopi village of Sikyátki began under the leadership of archaeologist and anthropologist Jesse Walter Fewkes of the Smithsonian Institute.
  • In the 1920s, Nampeyo began losing her eyesight due to trachoma, which worsened to near blindness later in her life.

The players

Nampeyo

A pioneering Hopi potter who helped revive the Sikyátki style of polychrome pottery in the late 19th century, transforming Pueblo ceramics into a globally recognized modern art form.

Jesse Walter Fewkes

An archaeologist and anthropologist from the Smithsonian Institute who led the excavation of the prehistoric Hopi village of Sikyátki in 1895, which had a major influence on Nampeyo's artistic practice.

Thomas Keam

A British-born trader who helped establish the commercial market for Hopi pottery, setting up a trading post in Keams Canyon, Arizona, and becoming a major supplier of Indigenous pottery to American museums.

Fred Harvey Company

An American hospitality company that transformed tourism in the American West, opening Hopi House at the Grand Canyon in 1904 and sponsoring Nampeyo and her family to demonstrate their pottery-making there.

Joshua Miller

A doctor who received a pottery work from Nampeyo in exchange for eye treatments, as her eyesight was compromised in the later years of her life.

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What they’re saying

“Nampeyo is one of the most important figures in the history of modern ceramics. By adapting this [ancestral] knowledge to new expressions, she transformed Pueblo pottery into a globally recognized modern art form.”

— Wendy Nālani E. Ikemoto, Vice President and Chief Curator, New York Historical

“Nampeyo has influenced a lot of potters today. Her designs, her pots, and how she made them have inspired many people, including me.”

— Bobby Silas, Contemporary Hopi Potter

What’s next

The record-setting Nampeyo pot that sold for $350,000 in 2010 is now on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, after being gifted to the collection in 2017.

The takeaway

Nampeyo's story highlights the complex and often overlooked history of Indigenous art and craft in the United States, as well as the important role that women artists have played in shaping modern artistic movements. Her innovative approach to traditional Hopi pottery techniques and designs helped establish Pueblo ceramics as a celebrated modern art form, paving the way for generations of Indigenous artists to build upon her legacy.