The Legacy of a Master Potter: Nampeyo and Her Descendants (Paperback)

by Mary Ellen Blair (Author), Laurence R. Blair (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Nampeyo, born of a Tewa mother and a Hopi father around 1870, was one of the most remarkable of the many talented Southwest Native American potters of this century. She died in 1945, leaving a vast number of descendants, many of whom are accomplished potters now. The Blairs have produced what will stand as the definitive biography of this remarkable artist, the result of 40 years of traveling, collecting, interviewing, and enjoying the work of Nampeyo and her clan. They begin with a history of the Tewa people and then introduce the story of Nampeyo's life and the development of her style under the threat of encroaching blindness. The book's third section deals with the painstaking details of pottery making, and the fourth looks at Nampeyo's talented descendants. The book is profusely illustrated with black-and-white pictures as well as a stunning 32-page color insert and has valuable appendixes with family lineage charts and design forms used by the family. An excellent in-depth look at Hopi-Tewa pottery for larger libraries with art and Native American collections.AGay Neale, Southside Virginia Community Coll. Lib., Alberta
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
The Hopi-Tewa woman called Nampeyo is recognized today as one of the most important artists of the American Southwest. Through her hands, the craft of Hopi pottery blossomed into the revival of an art form almost lost. By the opening of the twentieth century, Nampeyo's pots were being carried far beyond the Southwest to the showcases of New York and Europe. Mary Ellen and Laurence Blair's years of research have resulted in a landmark study of Nampeyo's life and work and how she handed down her skill and devotion to her daughters and grandchildren and inspired others to follow her lead. Extensively illustrated with hundreds of color and black-&-white photos, maps, and drawings. Notes, genealogy charts, references, index.

Product Details

• Paperback: 305 pages
• Publisher: Rio Nuevo Publishers (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887896066
• ISBN-13: 978-1887896061
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #758,853 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Outstanding!, March 16, 2006

By	A Hopi Art Collector (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews

The title says it and the book certainly delivers Nampeyo's legacy and much more. If a rating above five stars could be given, this book is deserving of such status. I'm not alone in my praise, as contemporary Native American authorities Bruce McGee and Mark Bahti consider the book to be a model of research, accuracy and thoroughness and an inspiration and landmark with comprehensive and meticulous research. Author Mary Ellen Blair and her husband are to be highly commended for over twenty years of research and numerous visits to the Hopi lands for interviews with Nampeyo's descendants. They left no stone unturned. A full twenty three pages of references are included ... from A - Z.With such extensive time and research one would expect such a book to be weighty and difficult to read. The opposite is true. All the facts and history, from ca 800 - 1700 to the mid 1990's are included. This book reads like a novel and the only problem I could find is that you can't put it down! Page after page and event after event, the reader is held captive by the writing. Mrs Blair pulls no punches as she names the Native Americans, Anglo Americans and Europeans who were caring and honest and she openly points to the dishonest and unscrupulous individuals (incl those in high government positions) who took advantage of Nampeyo and other artists for personal/monetary gain.I could continue with the highest praise for this book. I learned so much from it and I'm continuing to learn with every page. A thirty two page color portfolio is included which contains outstanding examples of Nampeyo's work and those of her descendants which are a real feast for the eyes. I would highly recommend this book to Hopi pottery collectors and to anyone who is interested in Native American/Hopi history from (esp) 1860 - 1940.