The Dr. Samuel R. Poliakoff Collection of Western Art

Begay loved to explore with his pottery. The green slip color is highly unusual –no doubt from clay he found and used to satisfy his endless curiosity about Native ceramics. A basket serves as a mold to start the pot, the impression still visible on the jar’s base. The flat-shouldered jar and designs are derived from Hopi traditions. There are four design elements in orange, pink, and lilac on the flat shoulder; two of the elements are eagles and two are representative of Hopi sun Kachina faces.