Pueblo potters began to express a wide variety of colors, design styles, and vessel forms. The culmination of the Hopi polychromes was Sikyatki Polychrome, which flourished from A.D. 1400 to 1600. In the late 1800s, outsiders became interested in Hopi pottery, and a revival in pottery production was sparked by the work of Nampeyo and other First Mesa potters. They reproduced the beautiful Sikyatki Polychrome styles and handed down their skills. Most potters are women, although a few men have moved into this medium.
Pottery is made from local clays gathered from below the mesas.
The clay is processed to remove debris and other impurities before it is hand-molded into the desired shape. After a drying period of approximately one to two weeks the pot is sanded, polished and painted. Designs vary from one artist to the other although most potters use traditional Hopi symbolism. Common designs include eagles, parrots, roadrunners, migration patterns, pueblo style villages, rain and clouds, lightning, waves and other life germinating symbols such as corn. Most potters use natural paints rendered from local vegetation, and paint with yucca brushes.