GUEST
These pots were my grandmother's. She got them on her honeymoon. They were passed down to her daughter, which is my mother. When my mother passed, I got them.
APPRAISER
They are both Hopi. They represent two generations of Hopi pottery.
GUEST
Oh.
APPRAISER
Um, the bowl closer to you was made around 1890, 1900.
GUEST
Wow.
APPRAISER
It was made at, located, called Hano Hopi. You may have heard of the famous potter Nampeyo. She was the grande dame of Hopi pottery.
GUEST
Oh, wow!
APPRAISER
This is not made by her.
GUEST
Okay.
APPRAISER
But it's made by somebody who surely knew her.
GUEST
Mm.
APPRAISER
And she followed some of the patterns that Nampeyo popularized.
GUEST
Wow.
APPRAISER
The designs on that bowl represent bird-feather wings, and birds are critical to Pueblo culture. Birds associate the Native people with the upper world. In the upper world, we have clouds. In clouds, we have rain. Rain comes down and produces corn. Corn is everything in the Pueblo world.
GUEST
Oh.
APPRAISER
So we must dance for rain. We must pray for rain. We must beg the heavens.
GUEST
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER
Rain. So, this pot close to you was made for trade to non-Natives. The pot closer to me, it's, it's a wonderful pot, and I haven't seen too many like it. I believe it's from a period called Polacca, Polacca ware. This began, as best I understand it, in the, uh, late 1700s...
GUEST
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER
...up until about 1890, 1900.
GUEST
All right.
APPRAISER
It's fairly thick. It's a little cruder, not as elegantly painted...
GUEST
Yeah.
APPRAISER
...as the pot close to you, and the design here is not typical. The only thing I can think of is that these are rain indications.
GUEST
Okay.
APPRAISER
I can't explain to you why they're not coming straight down. This bowl shows a good deal of wear.
GUEST
Wear, mm-hmm.
APPRAISER
Along the top of the rim. This was made, I'm certain, for Native use. It's a Native pot made to hold, perhaps, water.
GUEST
Okay.
APPRAISER
Somehow, this repetition of the same design, it's just intriguing. I've never seen one quite like it.
GUEST
Okay.
APPRAISER
It's clearly older than the bowl made for the tourist trade.
GUEST
Okay.
APPRAISER
This bowl could be mid-1800s.
GUEST
Oh, wow.
APPRAISER
1850, 1875. As to value, I, I believe the bowl closer to you, on a retail basis...
GUEST
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER
...would be worth in the neighborhood of $1,200 to $1,500.
GUEST
(gasps) (exclaims)
APPRAISER
If you're going to insure it, I would raise it up to around $2,000.
GUEST
Okay, good.
APPRAISER
This bowl's a little more difficult to value. I think, on a retail basis, I would value this at around $3,500.
GUEST
Wow.
APPRAISER
And if I, insuring it, I, I'd go higher. I, you know, perhaps $4,500.
GUEST
Huh!
APPRAISER
It's, it's a wonderful pot.
GUEST
That's amazing. Should I hug you now or later?
GUEST and APPRAISER
(both laugh)
GUEST
That's great. I really appreciate that.
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