Native American Pottery-
The Southwest

At least nine distinct types of decorated
pottery were made in the Southwest
before the Spanish arrived in 1539. Four
utilized glaze paints in their decoration,
while one non-glazetype was introduced
before the arrival of the Spanish and
continued to be made after they came.
Native American Art Heading
Another glaze pottery type, the Hawlkuh Polychrome was introduced after the Spanish
arrived. The six types of pottery have names that correspond to the names of Ashiwl
villages in the vicinity of modem Zuni villages: Hoshotauthla,
K_na, Pinnawa, Kechlpawan, Matsaki and Hawlkuh.

Although six pottery types are named after specific Ashiwi
Indian villages, three additional decorated pottery types weredeveloped from Ashiwi
Polychrome.
Two are named after specific villages: Kiapkwa Polychrome, named after Kiapkwainaquin,an
ancient village located near the modem village of Ojo Caliente; and Zuni Polychrome, named
after the Spanish type.

These three types were made only at Zuni Pueblo, or where
the Zuni people lived temporarily.

Significant changes in the styles of Indian pottery made at the Ashiwl Pueblos have
occassionally repeatedly in the past 700 years. Some were technical developments, such as
the abandonment of glaze paints and adoption of matte paints, or vice versa. Others involved
alterations.

In the forms of vessels or the ways pigments were applied (different patterns and motifs).
The changes that the Zuni made was around and after 1900 primarily involved shape and
form, but not materials until very recently.

The volume of pottery making at the Zuni Peublo Indian
declined steadily, in the early 1900s, due to the availability of manufactured metal and
ceramic wares imported from
the eastern United States.  

The Laguna Pueblo Indians made pottery with geometic shapes and zig-zag designs. Flowers,
foliage, and naturalistic and stylized birds are also featured on many of their jars.
They also decorated their pottery with elaborate bird images.
Otherwise, they are similar to the Zuni and Hopi potter's work
as far as firing, shaping techniques, and materials used.
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