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Maricopa Pottery Collection
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian
Community
The Halchidhoma Maricopa or Pi-posh women near Lehi, Arizona constructed clay pottery for sale to Anglo settlers, and eventually these items
evolved into popular tourist souvenir items. The styles and forms of pottery underwent several revivals, as standards for design and techniques of
production improved to meet consumer tastes. Today, the resulting red and black designs combined with cream slip and scroll line pots are recognized
as the distinctive Maricopa style. Other pottery styles include human effigy pots and animal effigy pots reflecting the desert fauna of the Salt River landscape.
Between 1937-1940, regional and local museums along with concerned supporters worked with the local Maricopa potters to establish the Maricopa Pottery
Cooperative. The potters included Ida Redbird, their spokeswoman, and approximately nineteen other women. Their goal was to build a retail market for their
work by establishing a cooperative relationship with brokers, dealers, and buyers of their work. Despite strong support for the work, the tradition of Maricopa
pottery making has not flourished, unlike the Pueblo pottery market in New Mexico. Maricopa pottery is again in danger of disapearing as a living cultural artform.
Similar to the Pima basket weaving tradition, young Maricopa no longer seek older artists to teach tribal artmaking, as plastic and metal containers replaced
woven baskets long ago. Casino Arizona's collection of Maricopa pottery recognizes the fine caliber of pottery makers of the past. Through our collection, we hope
the beauty of these pieces will inspire young artists to remember and preserve this artform by creating new forms to reflect the Maricopa culture today.
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