Native American Art by ErvJ

This photo has been edited to mirror the original three pots as a morphed reflection below. The kokopelli has been replaced with a dead raven to show the dark side. Also the reflected image has undergone the addition of stretching and contorting of the vases and frame.

NOTE: The Wedding Vase in this photo is on the right, it is an ancient vessel still used in traditional Native American wedding ceremonies today. One spout of the vessel represents the husband; the other, the wife. The looped handle represents the unity achieved with marriage. The space created within the loop represents the couples’ own circle of life.

The wedding vase is a treasured and sacred tradition among many Native American Indian tribes, particularly the Navajo and Pueblo peoples. These vases are not only symbolic in the ceremony performed just prior to the wedding itself, but also in the shape and construction of the vessel.

Months before a couple is officially married, the groom’s parents build the wedding vase from clay found in a local river bed which then is ceremonially cleaned and filtered. Once the vessel has been properly fired, both families assemble. The parents give the young couple advice, and the wedding vase is filled with a special liquid. Traditionally it would be nectar made by the medicine man, though many modern couples may choose to drink water or an herbal infused tea from the vase to represent the blending of their lives.

First the groom offers his bride the vessel and she drinks from one spout. She then turns the wedding vase clockwise, and the groom then drinks from this same side. Each will then drink from the opposite side of the wedding vase, and then finally in the culmination of the ceremony, they will both drink from the wedding vase together. It is said that if they manage this feat without spilling a drop they will always have a strong, cooperative relationship. The vase then becomes a cherished piece in their household and great care is taken to make sure it is never damaged.

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