American Indian Pottery

Perfectly fired and richly painted, American Indian pottery conveys the history and artistic heritage of some of North America's oldest cultures. Today, American Indian pottery is prized for its beauty, function, and history.

American Indian pottery’s past traces back several centuries, evolving in response to the human need for a vessel or container for liquid. Over time, pottery became highly specialized among American Indians. Lidded pots and vases became customized for particular purposes. Eventually, they also became enveloped in elaborate designs.

American Indian artisans not only rendered lively patterns and tribal motifs along the contours of their ceramic vessels, but they also experimented with treatments to the surface of the clay. Treatments included burnishing and polishing to elicit a unique sheen on the ceramic surface.

Quick Facts

• The earliest documented American Indian pottery has been found in the southeastern United States. It dates to roughly the 3rd millennia B.C.
• The regularity and refinement of pots accelerated with the development of the potter’s wheel around 3,000 B.C., but American Indians did not have contact with such a device until the Europeans arrived centuries later
• To avoid the cracking or shrinking of their pots as they dried in the open air or with the heat of the fire, American Indians often incorporated additional materials, known as tempers, into their pottery