Sylvia Naha
Sylvia Naha Humphrey, member of the Spider Clan, was born in 1951 into the Hopi-Tewa Reservation. She is the grand daughter of the late “Paqua Naha”, who was among the most famous and prolific Hopi-Tewa potters to ever have lived. Paqua’s first name means “frog” in the Spanish language. She is known as “Frog Woman”. Sylvia is also the daughter of the late Helen Naha “Feather Woman”.
Sylvia specializes in hand coiled Hopi white slip pottery. She learned all the fundamentals of traditional pottery making from her mother, Helen “Feather Woman” Naha.
Sylvia gathers her clay and other materials from the Hopi lands including natural pigments used for color on her pottery. She cleans, mixes, shapes, sands, paints, and fires her pottery outdoors, the traditional way with sheep dung. Many of the designs Sylvia paints on her pottery are Helen’s but she will incorporate them with her own. Sylvia signs her pottery as: A feather symbol followed by a letter “S”. Burel Naha (brother), Joy “Frog Woman II”Navasie (aunt), Dee Setalla (cousin), Eunice “Fawn” Navasie, and Dawn Navasie (cousin) are among some of the famous potters that Sylvia is related to.
Sylvia specializes in hand coiled Hopi white slip pottery. She learned all the fundamentals of traditional pottery making from her mother, Helen “Feather Woman” Naha.
Sylvia gathers her clay and other materials from the Hopi lands including natural pigments used for color on her pottery. She cleans, mixes, shapes, sands, paints, and fires her pottery outdoors, the traditional way with sheep dung. Many of the designs Sylvia paints on her pottery are Helen’s but she will incorporate them with her own. Sylvia signs her pottery as: A feather symbol followed by a letter “S”. Burel Naha (brother), Joy “Frog Woman II”Navasie (aunt), Dee Setalla (cousin), Eunice “Fawn” Navasie, and Dawn Navasie (cousin) are among some of the famous potters that Sylvia is related to.