BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Hopi tiles often depict birds or parts of birds, such as a wing or beak. “Birds are important in Hopi symbolism for their association with water sources and rain,” note Kim and Pat Messier. “Their feathers are used in ceremonial ways because birds are thought to carry prayers to the kachinas.” 



SHAPING UP
Not all Hopi tiles are square; also available are triangular and round tiles, plus such shapes as thunderbirds and water jars. Some are harder to find than others. For instance, hexagonal tiles were produced by a very limited number of potters between 1890 and 1900, write the Messiers. In addition, the thickness of tiles varies, the authors explain; the thinner they are, the more likely the clay is to curl while drying—thus it takes a talented ceramist to create thin, flat tiles.

Part of JOhn C. Hill's personal collection of Darlene James tiles, this triangular tile features a kachina figure.	Contemporary potter and jeweler Preston Duwyenie created this round tile with an abstract geometric design.

EYE-CATCHING KACHINAS
Kachinas—deified ancestral spirits—often are depicted on Hopi tiles. Kim and Pat Messier explain: “Hopi potters realized early in the tourist era that anything with a portrayal of a kachina would sell faster than any other design.” They add that while most of the kachinas are unidentifiable, a handful of individual figures sometimes are portrayed.