America and Mud

United States History of Clay

A History of Native American Art

A jar from a prehistoric pueblo
Courtesy of the School of American Research,
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Scientists have carbon-dated Indian pots from 30,000 B.C. in North America. Most of our knowledge of the first American Indians is based on their claywork alone because fired clay is the only material on earth that does not change with time.

To read more click here.

Native American Pottery

Southwestern pottery remains one of the greatest expressions of ceramic art in the world.

Mimbres burial bowl,  A.D. 1000-1150.
School of American Research Collections in the
Museum of New Mexico. Photograph by Arthur Taylor.


Yei water jar, 1992; by Lorraine Williams,
featuring a symbolic Navajo design.
Polychrome; 11" x 7" dia. Collection of Sue Totty.
Photograph by Craig Smith.

 

Maria Martinez

To find out more about Native American pottery, read about Maria Martinez on the next page.

Find Out About Folk Pottery In the USA

Southern Face Jug

These were the original childproof caps-
sculpt a scary face on the jug to keep the kids out of the contents!

Visit The New Georgia Encyclopedia to view an awesome online exhibit of Georgia folk pottery. Each image rotates a full 360 degrees.

All pieces are from the John A. Burrison Folklife Collection at the Atlanta History Center.

Plan a Museum Visit?

The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia


The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia showcases a 200-year tradition of folk pottery in northeast Georgia. Visitors to the museum expierience shelters that potters built for their kilns, discover how pottery is made and how it was used for essential household purposes. It also shows how pottery later evolved into a folk art form. Exhibits showcase a 200-piece collection donated to the museum, including the whimsical face jugs that have become an emblem of Southern folk art. Demonstrations of pottery-making are offered one Saturday a month. Call ahead for dates and times.

  • GA 255 N, four miles southeast of Alpine Helen, Sautee Nacoochee, GA, 30571
  • 706/878-3300
  • Cost: $4
  • Hours: Weekdays 10-5, weekends noon-5
  • www.folkpotterymuseum.com

Wisconsin Potters

Click on any of the images below to be directed to a local artist's webpage.

By Bruce Johnson
Lake Mills, WI
Joel Huntley
Columbus, WI
Karl Borgeson
Whitewater, WI
Bur Oak Pottery
Lake Mills, WI
Mark Skudlarek
Cambridge, WI
Harriet Story
Mineral Point, WI
Marjorie King
Mount Horeb, WI
Ephraim Faience Pottery
Lake Mills, WI

Search Like a Pro

Wisconsin has such a rich history of pottery artists. The artists that are listed above just scratch the surface of what is available in our own state. Search terms like "Wisconsin Pottery" or "Wisconsin Ceramic Artists" and see what else is out there!

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