Indigenous American Art, 1000 BCE–1980 CE

The rigid surface of hides dictates simple geometric patterns in Plains art contrasting with complex sculptural forms achieved through fired clay among Pueblos artists.

Pueblo pottery utilizes clay's malleability for intricate coiling techniques producing fluid forms while hide paintings depend on skin’s flatness allowing elaborate pictorial representations.

Both Pueblo pottery and Great Plains hide painting primarily leverage organic materials' perishability to create transient works meant only for short-term ritual use.

Pueblo potters prefer using tempera paints on clay due to its absorbency similar to how Great Plains artists choose watercolor paints on hides for vibrancy enhancement.

Construction of cliff dwellings for increased defense and water conservation.

Erecting standing stones for solar alignment and agricultural planning.

Expansion of above-ground pueblos on plains for intensified farming efforts.

Building large kivas as communal spaces for rain-focused ceremonies.

Particular use of animal figures drawn with natural plant dyes on unfired clay surfaces

Abstract human forms etched into leather-hard clay before finalizing with glaze washes

Solid red coloring achieved through oxidizing fire atmospheres during firing.

Geometric designs using mineral-based paint on a white slip background.

Practical toys meant solely for children's play without any symbolic meaning.

Trade goods used primarily to exchange for resources with other Native American groups.

Religious educational tools representing spiritual beings when teaching younger members of society about their culture's beliefs and practices.

Architectural models that guided how homes should be constructed based on celestial influences.

Acrylic paint

Charcoal on stone surfaces

Natural pigments on bark paper

Colored sand

Embedding colored stones into the clay pre-firing.

Carving designs post-firing and filling with ink.

Using slips before firing them in kilns.

Painting with dye after firing them in kilns.

Replacement of traditional Mayan mythological themes with depictions centered around everyday life reflecting Teotihuacan influence.

Predominance of green obsidian inlays sourced from Teotihuacán used for ceremonial purposes rather than trade or social status.

Introduction of Thin Orange Pottery technique signifying elite status through brightly colored wares influenced by central Mexican styles.

Elimination of hieroglyphic writing on ceramics under Teotihuacán's cultural dominance promoting uniformity across Mesoamerica.

Each culture emphasizes realism, striving for lifelike accuracy whenever depicting spirits, whether carved or assembled.

While Iroquois masks aim for dynamic asymmetry, embodying chaotic spirits, kachinas maintain strict geometric consistency, symbolizing harmonious divine forces.

Each culture employs stylization differently. Iroquois masks exaggerate features through carving distortions while kachina dolls abstractly interpret deities into simplified wooden forms.

Kachina dolls reflect an emphasis on movable parts, creating kinetic expressions, unlike the static expressiveness seen in unmovable False Face masks.

Dyeing threads before weaving

Direct carving into fabric

Using colored beads

Painting after weaving

These intentional flaws served as markers for identifying individual weaver’s pieces distinctly from others'.

They believed perfection belongs only to the divine, so they incorporated human humility into their work.

Ch'ihónít’i represent natural occurrences that can't be controlled even by skilled artisans due to material limitations.

Imperfections were included to show variances between different tribal styles and weaving skills.