The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has the longest continuing pottery tradition of any tribe in the United States on their original homeland. Nearly 2,000 years ago, Cherokee potters began using carved wooden paddles and sharp objects to stamp their pottery with intricate crosshatch, spiral and other designs.
Their stamped, hand-built, thin-walled, waterproof pots were not only beautiful, but some were quite large. Cooking pots and water jugs were often a foot high, and some were large enough to hold more than 10 gallons. The Cherokee also made distinctive effigy pots of humans, frogs, birds and dogs. They used their knowledge of various clays and firing techniques to create unique black and white pots, and red and white pots. High firing temperatures made the pots waterproof, and they were sealed further by a second firing utilizing soot from burned corncobs.
Cherokee people traded for iron pots and manufactured dinnerware starting around 1700, but potters continued to make functional, stamped vessels for cooking. After about 1920, Cherokee potters turned to an emerging tourist market to sell their creations. During this period, visitors were primarily interested in taking home small, decorative pots as souvenirs. The pots in the 20th century continued to have distinctive Cherokee designs, but many of the qualities that had made the old-style Cherokee pottery tradition so special faded over the next century.
After significant work in recapturing some of these lost skills, the pottery community is thriving once again. Examples of these Cherokee artisans is on display at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee. We encourage visitors to the area to stop by and see these beautiful pieces of art.