Hand-Made Navajo Horse Hair Humming Bird Vase
Hand-etched signature by TVail
This beautiful, very gently used, hand-made Horse Hair Vase is from my Father-in-Law Richard's estate. He loved his horse hair pottery pieces. We have no idea where he obtained this vase or how long he owned it.
Size: 6" tall
Top Opening is approximately 3" in diameter
15" at the widest part of the vase
The bottom is approximately 3'' in diameter
The vase has a hand-etched signature by the artist, TVail
The Vail family is well known for their contemporary style of pottery known as “horse hair”. Tom Vail married into the Navajo Nation. Tom, along with his children William “Skeeter” Vail, Loveitha Vail-Sanchez, and their spouses Geraldine Vail and Ray Sanchez, create horsehair pottery.
Navajo handmade horse hair pottery is a traditional style of pottery. Each piece is unique. Pottery gets its name from the artist throwing real horse hair on the pottery as they are fired to burn a unique design into the finish.
When looking at pottery marks, the design pattern is important. Native American tribes often have unique patterns. Navajo pottery usually has geometric designs, while Acoma pottery often includes floral motifs. This helps to recognize the tribal origins.