BY JERILEE CAMERON

A History of Pottery

Jomon/Japan

Jomon/JapanThis piece is called a Japanese Satsuma

pottery vase. This piece may have been one of a pair. Made in the early part of the 20th century, the vase is in baluster form and has multicolored hand-painted late Art Nouveau-style decoration with moriage, or raised-slip, floral and leaf motifs.

Jomon/Japan

Jomon/JapanThis particular vase is a double-sided vase.

meant to be placed on the floor with the plain face to the wall. It was made in Japan in the 1920s, and has a moriage, or raised enamel decoration. These mass-produced vases were fairly common household items.

Peru

Peru

This ancient piece is a highly sculptural piece, but also one that has some major function in daily life for the Ancient Peruvians. Supposedly in the vague shape of a ram, this container was most likely used for storing and carrying water back and forth.

Peru

Peru

This is a highly interesting piece, as well as a wonderfully beautiful one. This particular piece is a double-chambered whistling vessel, created by the thousands, have always been favorite objects among collectors of ancient art. Each has a "blind spout" in the form of a human head, bird, or other animal. When liquid is tipped from the chamber with the open spout to the chamber with the blind spout, air is forced out of a hole behind the blind spout, producing a whistle. As the water level changes, so does the tone.

Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece

This particular piece was most likely used for storing things such as grain and other foods that were to be kept relatively dry until used. The picture depicts Heracles fighting the Nemean Lion, one of his twelve tasks. Here, is choking the lion to death for none of his weapons would kill it. Later, Heracles wear the lion's sking as a cloak and its skull as a helmet.

Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece

This Kamares ware pottery is a wonderful example of the beautiful designs that the Greeks would adorn their pottery with. This particular piece was most likely used to store and serve wine, although the intricate markings indicate that the pot was probably owned by someone who was well-off.

Pre-Columbian

Pre-Columbian

This particular piece of pottery is supposed to depict a Colima dog. It’s beautiful red striations add to the aesthetics of this lovely piece. This artwork is a sculpture, used solely to adorn but might have held a part in a special religious ceremony.

Pre-Columbian

Pre-Columbian

This lovely bird vessel had one main use… to contain liquids (mainly water). The spout is an attachment, jutting off to the side, resembling closely a wing. The beautiful head is not functional however, just added for ornament.

Mimbres

Mimbres

This piece is actually a dish, used in the common household. The black rings around the edges and the beautiful little hummingbird give this plate a wonderful aesthetic appeal.

Mimbres

Mimbres

This particular piece is a bowl, used for everyday meals. The jackrabbits portrayed on this piece of pottery is highly symbolic to the Mimbres people. Jackrabbits were a significant source of food for the Mimbres, so much of their eating-ware is embossed with their images.

Acoma

Acoma

This plate, portraying an orange butterfly uses beautiful vibrant colors and geometric shapes. Because of it’s elegance and beauty, it was most likely used as a serving dish, reserved for special occasions.

Acoma

Acoma

This peculiar looking piece is called a wedding vase. It is called this because of its use. A week or two before a wedding would take place, the groom’s parents would create this piece of pottery. The day of the wedding, Holy Water would be poured into the vase. The bride would drink from one side, the groom the other. This act was believed to unite the two in holy matrimony.

Hopi

Hopi

This is a soup ladle, used to stir and serve the meals of the Hopi tribe. The yellow color and black geometric designs are typical of the Hopi style.

Hopi

Hopi

This piece is very peculiar shaped… a little deviant from the norm of the Hopi pottery, which is typically circular in shape. It was most likely used as a container for some type of liquid, possibly corn alcohol.

The pattern and color are both typical of the Hopi style.

Cochiti

Cochiti

A humanoid figure with sprouting wings and a singing mouth can be made out in this example. It was most likely a water pitcher. With it’s beautiful and simplistic geometric patterns adorning it, it is also very elegant and aesthetically pleasing.

Cochiti

Cochiti

This piece is purely ornamental… absolutely no functional purpose at all except to look pretty. This particular piece is supposed to look like a turkey. It’s simplistic paint is a typical sign of the Cochiti work.

Qin Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

The little feet on this pot and it’s beautiful texturized outside is highly aesthetically pleasing. This piece was most likely used for storing and serving food items.

Qin Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

This pot depicts a man, almost in flight with swirly designs all around him. The Qin Dynasty often used their pottery to tell different stories. This particular piece is a vase, most likely used to store water or alcohol.

Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

This piece is a rare large Han Dynasty green-glazed pottery dog, well modeled in red pottery (earthenware), standing four square, wide-eyed and teeth bared, with pointed ears, a curled tail, and wearing a studded harness; thickly potted and quite heavy

Han Dynasty

Han Dynasty

This is a large Chinese pottery cocoon jar incised with bands design. Cocoon jar sometimes called a "duck-egg jar", was used as a wine vessel during Han Dynasty.

Hispano/Moresque

Hispano/Moresque

The hemispherical bowl with an sloping rim, painted in a coppery-red luster, showing a singing bird

Hispano/Moresque

Hispano/Moresque

This beautiful piece with red flowery shapes painted on the surface was most likely used as a plate. Because of the age and the relatively fragile ware, there have been many cracks and breaks in the surface.

Majolica

Majolica

Majolica uses tin glazing to create beautiful and striking colors, much like the ones you see on this example. This plate probably functioned as an eating plate, but was so beautiful and colorful that the wealthy most usually used them.

Majolica

Majolica

This plate, embossed with a hunting scene, owes it vibrant colors to the tin glaze used.

Beautiful colors and elegant, winding imagery is typical of Majolica works.