Nampeyo was an Indigenous American artist who sculpted and painted pots. She was born in 1859 and lived on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. Her Tewa name was Num-pa-yu, which means “snake that does not bite”. Her grandmother taught her how to make pots and the artwork she created is now displayed in museums all over the world.
The designs on Nampeyo’s jars are inspired by designs from the 1400s to 1600s. Archeologists were digging for artifacts nearby where Nampeyo lived showed her ancient designs that she used for inspiration.
