20th Century Modernist Navajo Ceramic Vase with Native American Decoration from Melvin Redhorse, United States, 1970s

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Description

Measurements:
height: 22.3 cm; diameter: 15 cm; weight: 0.950 kg

item :
navajo vase (or navajo pottery, a work of … Read more Measurements:
height: 22.3 cm; diameter: 15 cm; weight: 0.950 kg

item :
navajo vase (or navajo pottery, a work of ceramic art created by a native american craftsman legally belonging to the navajo tribe, a people who call themselves diné) in hozoni pottery ceramic, entirely handcrafted and signed by renowned master craftsman melvin redhorse, a prominent figure of the diné (navajo) tribe. This work qualifies as a display piece, characterized by its rare physical dimensions, measuring 22.3 centimeters tall and 15 centimeters in diameter—sizes that are very difficult to find on the market compared to the small vases typically produced by this manufacturer. The egg-shaped silhouette, animated by taut, clean walls culminating in a narrow mouth with a rounded edge, rests elegantly on small, organic feet hinted at beneath the base, reflecting the finest ceramic stylistic elements of midcentury modern design. The pictorial decoration, sublimely primordial and ethereal, is executed at high heat using a sophisticated airbrush or controlled spray technique, spread over a dense ivory white blanket with a rigorously matte glaze finish. The body of the vase is encircled by a striking monochrome narrative frieze in shades of smoky gray and desaturated olive green, inspired by the "ancient shadows" line. The iconography faithfully reproduces the millennia-old petroglyphs and prehistoric rock carvings of the native americans of the southwestern united states, particularly the anasazi, fremont, and hopi cultures. The front and back feature imposing and mysterious stylized shamanic anthropomorphic figures with horizontal bands and long curved antennae (inspired by the famous barrier canyon style), flanked by sacred zoomorphic and cosmological symbols such as the geometric spiral of the sun and travel and the stylized silhouette of a horned desert quadruped. Under the base of the artifact is the original handwritten signature, drawn in black brush, bearing the inscription "m. Redhorse diné." the attribution is absolute, unassailable, and fully certified: the presence of the word "diné" (the original name of the navajo people), added by the artist, attests to the tribal authenticity and the piece's certified provenance from us reservations. The sublime quality of the airbrush shading, designed to simulate the shadows of ancestral spirits imprinted on the weathered canyon sandstone, precludes any modern replica or non-european counterfeit, establishing the vase as a collectible ceramic artwork of the highest decorative and historical value.

about the artist and/or manufacturer:
melvin redhorse is a celebrated master ceramist and native american artist belonging to the diné (navajo) tribe. His work lies at the heart of the successful artistic partnership that brought together the age-old traditions of west coast ceramics with the avant-garde modernist movements of the late 20th century. The word "diné," proudly placed by redhorse under his signature, represents the sacred term with which the people define themselves in their native language (translatable as "the people"). Working within the reservation lands of the southwestern united states, the artist revolutionized the approach to traditional ceramics by founding, along with other hopi and pueblo masters, the renowned movement known as hozoni pottery. The core of melvin redhorse's artistic research, and particularly his iconic series entitled "ancient shadows," lies in the graphic reinterpretation of ancient petroglyphs carved millennia ago on the rock walls of monument valley and the american canyons by the pre-columbian anasazi and fremont cultures. Through his pioneering use of airbrushing combined with high-fired opaque glazes, redhorse has successfully translated the spiritual concept of the earth's memory, evoking with his shades of gray and brown the shadows of shamans and kachina spirits. Melvin redhorse's sculptural creations and diné artistic ceramics have been widely celebrated in institutional exhibitions dedicated to the evolution of american tribal crafts and contemporary design; today, the artistic achievements and artifacts of hozoni art pottery are held in major international art collections and are exhibited in major museum departments dedicated to cultures and decorative arts in the united states. This piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
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