“Male Pot”

Description

A prodigiously gifted artist, Alan creates figural pieces, both fanciful and traditional, traditional Zuni pots, beautifully contemporary ones, and pottery that combines the two, as here.

One half of a ceremonial Zuni set, this dramatic piece is a creative version, not strictly the same as one used for spiritual purposes.

Native lore accentuates the duality and symmetry of nature, as in day/night, and male/female.

Tied to a perfectly proportioned and finished black bowl, is a thrusting bouquet of natural feathers in vibrant array.

The bowl is impeccable in form, and traditionally fashioned: clay gathered, mixed, coiled, and smoothed by hand; fired in the ground.

Pheasant, parrot, and others, are composed in a striking arrangement of long, short, fluffy, and stiff, shapes, and muted and tropically brilliant hues.

Within the bowl is a group of varied items, including more feathers, small seashells, and metal. These suggest the actual contents, when a bowl is used ceremonially.

Expressing tradition in a modern form, this piece can be enjoyed as simply a strikingly handsome work of art, as well as a nod to centuries of spirituality.