Cherokee Pottery Research Paper

Pottery is more than just a cup to hold water or fruit. Pottery is a tradition that represents Cherokee culture. Pottery is used as a connection between our history and culture, art, and our daily life needs. You will find pottery to be more than just a pretty bowl. If you actually take a deeper look at some pottery crafted from Cherokees, you will find intricate designs and symbols that carry much deeper meanings than just a drawing on a bowl. As time has moved on, Cherokee pottery has been passed down through generations so there are many techniques and preferred methods for creating these pieces. Furthermore, many of our teachers teach how they were taught by elders and so on, making our pottery as close as possible to our elders as we can …show more content…
This museum is also special because they have rotating exhibits so the audience is able to come every month and see and learn something new about the culture. They provide classes that you can take to widen your horizon of Cherokee knowledge. These classes can include learning the Cherokee language, pottery, basketry, moccasin making, etc. Another big part of pottery is the clay used to make the pieces. The clay is taken straight from the earth. For example, before the Anna Mitchell Culture and Welcome Center was built, the ground below it held rich clay that was perfect for pottery. After being taken out of the ground, the clay goes through a two week process to get it ready. You are then ready to coil the clay and begin shaping it how you prefer. A lot of times sculptures will base their pottery on things that resonate with them, like their clan, objects or hobbies. Then the pottery is traditionally fired by starting a fire on the ground and letting the ground lose its moisture. Then the pottery is set on the ground near the fire and is slowly moved closer to the fire and turned every so often throughout the

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Cherokee Pottery Research Paper