Nyla Sahmie

Hopi

Hopi potter Nyla Sahmie
Nyla Sahmie

Nyla Sahmie was born into the Corn Clan at Sichomovi village on First Mesa in 1954. She learned the art of traditional pottery making early in life as the daughter of Priscilla Namingha Nampeyo. Like her sisters Rachel Sahmie and Jean Sahmie, she started producing pottery as a teenager. In Nyla's case she was 16 and she's now been making pottery for more than 50 years. Like most potters in her illustrious family, she tends to stick to the styles and designs of her great-grandmother in her creations.

Learning Path
Eagle tail and geometric design on a polychrome canteen
Polychrome canteen with eagle tail and geometric design
7.75 in H by 9.25 in Dia
Large polychrome yellowware maiden jar
Large polychrome yellowware maiden jar
13.5 in H by 14.75 in Dia
Bird element and geometric design on a polychrome wedding vase with fire clouds
Polychrome yellow ware wedding vase with fire clouds and a bird element and geometric design
7.25 in H by 5 in Dia
Bird element and moth motif inside this polychrome yellow ware bowl with a geometric design outside
Polychrome yellow ware gbowl with fire clouds and a bird element and moth motif inside, geometric design outside
3.25 in H by 12 in Dia
Geometric design outisde and migration pattern design inside on a polychrome bowl
Polychrome bowl decorated with a migration pattern design inside and a geometric design outside
4.25 in H by 8.5 in Dia
Bird element and dragonfly design on a polychrome wedding vase
Polychrome wedding vase decorated with a bird element and dragonfly design
4.5 in H by 2.75 in Dia
Old style double canteen Old style black on yellow double canteen with a geometric design
2.75 in H by 8.75 in Dia
Bird element and geometric design on a polychrome wedding vase Polychrome wedding vase with fire clouds and a bird element and geometric design
10.25 in H by 6.5 in Dia
Bird element and geometric design on a miniature polychrome canteen with fire clouds Miniature polychrome canteen decorated with a bird element and geometric design plus fire clouds
1.75 in H by 2.5 in Dia
A 4-panel geometric design decorates this miniature black on yellow jar Miniature black on yellow jar with a 4-panel geometric design
1.25 in H by 1.75 in Dia
Polychrome redware bowl with a bird element and geometric design inside and a geometric design outside Bird element and geometric inside and a geometric design outside on a polychrome redware bowl
2.25 in H by 8 in Dia
Bird element, dragonfly and geometric design on a polychrome wedding vase with fire clouds
Polychrome wedding vase with fire clouds and a bird element, dragonfly and geometric design
6.5 in H by 4.25 in Dia
Migration pattern design in black, inside and out on a red bowl
Red bowl with a black migration pattern design inside and out
5 in H by 11.25 in Dia
Polychrome bowl with a migration pattern design inside and a geometric design outside
A migration pattern design inside and a geometric design outside on a polychrome bowl
14.75 in Dia by 7.75 in H
Polychrome Sikyatki-style jar with a 4-panel bird element and geometric design above the shoulder
A 4-panel bird element and geometric dseign above the shoulder of a Sikyátki-style jar
18 in Dia by 7 in H
Geometric design inside and out on a polychrome bowl with fire clouds
A polychrome bowl with fire clouds and geometric design inside and out
8.5 in Dia by 2.75 in H

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