30 Sep 2015 Southwest Indian Ceramics

If you study various cultures throughout the course of time, almost every society has had some sort of pottery or ceramics that they developed with time. Native American Indian pottery reflects the richness and cultural diversity of the Southwestern Pueblo people. The Native Americans developed their own styles of pottery and ceramics, just as many other cultures have done throughout history. Many of the Native American tribes used pottery and Native American ceramics, even before the Europeans first came to the Americas.

Handcrafted Pot from Mexico

The Southwestern Indians seem to be the ones who have best been able to preserve the Native American ceramics as they were. Some of the beautiful ceramic works included wedding vases and other ceramics that were colorful and had unique designs. The varied styles and designs of Pueblo pottery results from the different chemical compositions in the clay mined by each Pueblo, cultural beliefs and, of course, the artists’ imaginations and abilities. The pottery of the Pueblo Indians of the Southwestern United States embodies the highest artistic achievement of a race of quiet, peaceful, and tenacious people who have even to the present day successfully kept their culture intact for over a thousand years.

Southwestern Mexican Pot

Almost all the potteries of the Southwest were made by hand. Still today there are Native Americans that are still making the Native American ceramics and they still make them by hand keeping the old tradition alive. Hence, all Native American pottery shares one element in common in that it was not thrown on a wheel but formed by hand using coil, sculpted, molded or pinch pot techniques.

Hopi Style Pottery from Mexico

Various Native American tribes had their own styles of making the Native American ceramics. Historic Pueblo pottery is the least abundantly preserved of all Southwestern pottery and consequently the most difficult to study. Keeping a piece of Southwestern Indian pottery at home is something that you can feel proud about.

Pushpita is a freelance writer on world handicrafts and lifestyle. Pushpita holds a Masters in English literature and is a rich media professional.