Choose Indian Pottery To Create Unique Southwestern Home Decorating

Indian pottery, like that made by the Tarahumara and Tigua Tribes, is a wonderful way to bring true southwestern style to your home decor. The earthen clay is not only able to withstand years of use but is also what gives the pottery that popular characteristic primitive look. The form of making this clay pottery has been passed down throughout the generations and is still made the same way as it has been for centuries. If you are like me and enjoy American Indian pottery, you will definitely be excited to hold a piece of this unique art in your hands, imagining the hard work involved in making such unique pottery.

If you like 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, painted by the Tigua Indians, you will definitely not have trouble choosing something you like. The variety of pottery is exciting for collectors because there is so much available. The best part of buying real American Indian pottery is the fact that it has always been part of Indian life. In recent years, pottery collecting has seen a renewed interest because of the revival of traditional Mata Ortiz pottery found in the Casas Grandes region of Chihuahua, in the northern part of Mexico.

A lot of Indian pottery can be used for both collection and cooking purposes. Many of the Tarahumara pots or ollas as they are known as, are used to prepare beans, corn and other traditional Native American dishes. The pots are designed simply for use and come in many sizes and shapes that define how the pot will be used. It doesn't matter which type of pottery you buy, whether to be used for cooking or just decorative purposes, you will certainly appreciate all the work involved in crafting Indian pottery.

You will find the creation and decoration of these beautiful pots very intriguing. Hand-crafted by the potter, the traditional coil and pinch method is used instead of the pottery wheel. The potter starts his project 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 right thickness. A piece is made for the bottom of the pot and then clay coils are added to build up the sides. The instruments the Tarahumaras use for smoothing and shaping the pot usually consist of pieces of gourd, stone or wood. They then heat the pot in a shallow hole after it has had time to dry 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 American Indian pottery, whether a roughly made Tarahumara pot, an exquisitely painted piece by the Tigua Indians, or elegant artwork like Mata Ortiz, is certainly a great way to bring Native American traditions to life in your home. You can buy beautiful Indian pottery online, and in specialty stores that sell southwestern decorating accessories. If you would like to be part of the exciting rebirth of Indian pottery collecting and add American Indian design to your decor, try decorating with genuine pieces of handmade Indian pottery.

Craig Chambers is the director of Mission Del Rey and author offering free information online about using Indian pottery for unique country home decor. For more information visit www.missiondelrey.com

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Choose Indian Pottery To Create Unique Southwestern Home Decorating
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