Choosing Native American Pottery For Unique Southwest Interior Design

There is nothing like genuine Indian pottery, like that made by the Tarahumara and Tigua Indian Tribes, to create an authentic southwest look in your home. The earthen clay is not only very durable but is also what gives the pottery that popular rustic look. 

The knowledge of pottery making has been passed down throughout the generations and is still made the same way today as it has been for hundreds of years. If you are like me and love Native American pottery, you will definitely be excited to hold a piece of this unique art in your hands, and imagine the hard work that goes into creating such magnificent pottery.

If you are interested in collecting Indian pottery, you will come across many kinds and might even discover some that you never knew existed. From rustic style pieces of dark earth-tone pottery to beautiful art pieces, made by the Tigua Indians, you will definitely not have trouble choosing something you like. 

The various types of pottery are thrilling for collectors because there is so much to choose from. The most exciting part of purchasing authentic Native Indian pottery is the fact that it has always been part of Native lifestyle. Recently, collecting pottery has become fashionable once again due to the revival of traditional Mata Ortiz pottery found in the northern part of Mexico. 

Many pieces of Indian pottery can be used both to cook with or to add as part of a collection. Many of the Tarahumara pots or ollas as they are called, are used to cook beans, boil corn with lime for making tortillas, roast corn to make pinole, or for making the traditional corn beer known as tesquino. The ollas are simple and designed in various sizes and shapes that influence how the pot will be used. It doesn't matter which style of pottery you decide on, whether for cooking or decorative purposes, you will no doubt appreciate all the work that goes into crafting Indian pottery. 

You will find pottery making very interesting. Made by hand, the traditional coil and pinch method is used instead of the pottery wheel. Pottery making is begun by first finding the clay and then grinding it to a fine powder using a stone metate. Water is then mixed with the clay powder and brought to the desired consistency. A piece is cut for the bottom of the pot and then clay coils are molded together to build up the sides. 

The tools the Tarahumaras use to smooth the pot and scrape away roughness are nothing more than pieces of gourd, stone or wood. They then fire the pot in a shallow hole after it has dried in the sun. It is then painted with traditional items like a feather, the fingers or a cloth-wrapped stick and a variety of paints like red ochre, iron oxide or hematite. 

Owning Native American pottery, whether a roughly made Tarahumara olla, a brilliantly painted piece by the Tigua Indian Tribe, or elegant artwork like Mata Ortiz, is certainly a wonderful way to bring Native American traditions to life in your home. You can buy beautiful Indian pottery online, and in pottery shops and many stores that sell southwestern decorating accessories.

If you would like to be part of the age-old art form of Indian pottery and bring American Indian design to your decor, try decorating with original pieces of handmade Indian pottery.

See our entire selection of Native American Pottery here.