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How to Identify Native American Pottery

Native American pottery is found in most of the native cultures across the continent. Unfortunately for collectors, there are also many fakes and foreign-made fabrications. To avoid wasting money or being taken on a collector's item purchase, learn how to identify authentic Native American pottery. It helps to have a guide book to identify the different tribal designs and clays used. Take pictures to take to experts to verify the authenticity of the piece in question.

Things You'll Need

Digital camera
Pen and paper
Magnifying glass
Native American art guide book

Instructions

- 1
  Grab the pottery in question and thoroughly inspect. Use the magnifying glass to look for any seams along the sides; seams are an indicator that it is a modern fake and was molded or cast in a factory. According to Native-Languages.org, most tribes did not use spinning wheels to make the pottery. A pinch and coil method was employed.
- 2
  Ask if there is a shard of the pottery for you to inspect. If so, use the magnifying glass to look at the sides of the shard. Check the color and write it down. Look for striation marks indicating the presence of wrapped coils. Take a picture of the shard and the side of the shard with the camera. Notate the area and time of the photo.
- 3
  Take a series of photos of the pieces in question. Take pictures of the top bottom and all sides. Any special designs should be photographed as well.
- 4
  Cross reference the photos with the art guidebook. If still in question, go to an expert for verification, or email the pictures to an expert to have the authenticity verified. The experts may charge a fee for these services.
- 5
  Take the photos to art museums or museums of natural history and discuss them with the curator. Often, curators hold degrees in art or history and are helpful with identifying true Native American art and pottery.

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