Tweet
Pottery Fakes
Some tips on distinguishing fake from genuine pottery vessels with some fake examples, followed by some genuine ones:
Primitive Vessels of clay
No other artifacts portray as much information about the prehistory of North America than the utilitarian and decorative clay vessels of the Mississippian period. It is postulated that pottery vessels began to appear in the Late Archaic period approximately 3000 BP. Clay fired pottery vessels became standard ware by the time of the Adena people in 2500 BP.; continuing into the Hopewell Late Woodland period 2000BP to 1600 BP.
By 950 BP, the Mississippians began an agrarian lifestyle and pottery vessels became an important trait. Many utilitarian items such as plates, bowls and jars were part of every family assembly. Preceded by clay lined basketry; fired vessels of clay held food items, medicinal herbs and most important became a source of portable water. Adornos (figural effigies attached to the rims of bowls) illustrated ancient artistic talent for depicting exacting and stylized representations of the creatures surrounding the populous.
The first color pottery decoration is a solid red embellishment called "Old Town Red". Later a combination of Red and White is known as Nodena Red on white. Late in the Mississippian period, polychrome decorations of Red and White with addition of black; is called polychrome (meaning many colors). Polychrome was introduced by the Quapaw of Arkansas and Mississippi. Other forms of decoration included the application of surface engraving and incising. A variety of decorative themes included mythical icons. Mississippians produced Walls and Rhodes engraved in Arkansas and Mississippi while thin walled pottery was being produced by the Caddo in Oklahoma and Texas.
Mississippians are renown for numerous full figured effigies of humans, animals and the "Head Vases" that appeared during this six hundred year primitive lifespan. Interestingly, each region had its own distinctive pottery styling. These traits enable students and scholars to identify the locus and origin of the specific artwork. Unique styling such as diamond shaped eyes on human effigies come from Upper Missouri and the large thighs and hips on vessels come from the Bradley site in Arkansas. Some pottery vessels are extremely distinctive and unusual.
Few replicas were crafted until the shut-down of illegal wholesale excavation in the Mississippi Valley during the late 1980's. A number of persons currently have reproduced previously discovered examples; adding a little creativity of their own, developing unknown rarities for the collector market. Of course, none have stood the test of time!
Unworthy Pottery vessels
Fig. UWP#1: The premier specimen in any ceramic collection is the "Head" vase. These are high dollar pieces with the best examples reaching mid-five figures. This one traveled to Europe and back and was published in an archaeological journal. Sold @ $5000
Fig. UWP#2: Next to the "Head" vase, the full figure Human effigy water bottle ranks #2. Add paint and the rarity goes up. This one is not Quapaw as represented, especially with a "Chipmunk" face! Sold @ $3000
Fig. UWP#3: This is one of the new breed of replicas that have appeared since the introduction of the 1989 laws. The imagination is outstanding. All of these are grayware. Sold @ $1500
Fig. UWP4: A Quapaw Tripodal effigy base painted vessel? Not exactly, the three head effigies each have a different expression, and the paint is straight out of Sherwin Williams. Enough said. Sold @ $2500
Fig. UWP#5: Old Town Red is seldom seen with white decor, this animal head vase/bottle has too many strange things going on; the facial expression is odd, the engraving is wrong as is the human ears that adorn this replication of something, Raccoon? Sold @ $1500
Fig.UWP#6: Human? Animal? Quapaw Teapot! None of the above. Walls engraved? Too much going on and a face that never was seen before, all on one item! That's what makes it rare. Sold @ $3000
Fig. UWP#7: This bowl has two facing felines of some kind. They are not the style used in Mississippian vessels, nor any other in Prehistoric America. Beware of smiling cats! Sold @ $2500
Fig. UWP#8: Who ever saw a Pink & white human effigy water bottle? Even Red & White is scarce! The medallion face on a full figure with hands on knees is strange. Sold @ $3500
Primitive Vessels of clay
No other artifacts portray as much information about the prehistory of North America than the utilitarian and decorative clay vessels of the Mississippian period. It is postulated that pottery vessels began to appear in the Late Archaic period approximately 3000 BP. Clay fired pottery vessels became standard ware by the time of the Adena people in 2500 BP.; continuing into the Hopewell Late Woodland period 2000BP to 1600 BP.
By 950 BP, the Mississippians began an agrarian lifestyle and pottery vessels became an important trait. Many utilitarian items such as plates, bowls and jars were part of every family assembly. Preceded by clay lined basketry; fired vessels of clay held food items, medicinal herbs and most important became a source of portable water. Adornos (figural effigies attached to the rims of bowls) illustrated ancient artistic talent for depicting exacting and stylized representations of the creatures surrounding the populous.
The first color pottery decoration is a solid red embellishment called "Old Town Red". Later a combination of Red and White is known as Nodena Red on white. Late in the Mississippian period, polychrome decorations of Red and White with addition of black; is called polychrome (meaning many colors). Polychrome was introduced by the Quapaw of Arkansas and Mississippi. Other forms of decoration included the application of surface engraving and incising. A variety of decorative themes included mythical icons. Mississippians produced Walls and Rhodes engraved in Arkansas and Mississippi while thin walled pottery was being produced by the Caddo in Oklahoma and Texas.
Mississippians are renown for numerous full figured effigies of humans, animals and the "Head Vases" that appeared during this six hundred year primitive lifespan. Interestingly, each region had its own distinctive pottery styling. These traits enable students and scholars to identify the locus and origin of the specific artwork. Unique styling such as diamond shaped eyes on human effigies come from Upper Missouri and the large thighs and hips on vessels come from the Bradley site in Arkansas. Some pottery vessels are extremely distinctive and unusual.
Few replicas were crafted until the shut-down of illegal wholesale excavation in the Mississippi Valley during the late 1980's. A number of persons currently have reproduced previously discovered examples; adding a little creativity of their own, developing unknown rarities for the collector market. Of course, none have stood the test of time!
Unworthy Pottery vessels
Fig. UWP#1: The premier specimen in any ceramic collection is the "Head" vase. These are high dollar pieces with the best examples reaching mid-five figures. This one traveled to Europe and back and was published in an archaeological journal. Sold @ $5000
Fig. UWP#2: Next to the "Head" vase, the full figure Human effigy water bottle ranks #2. Add paint and the rarity goes up. This one is not Quapaw as represented, especially with a "Chipmunk" face! Sold @ $3000
Fig. UWP#3: This is one of the new breed of replicas that have appeared since the introduction of the 1989 laws. The imagination is outstanding. All of these are grayware. Sold @ $1500
Fig. UWP4: A Quapaw Tripodal effigy base painted vessel? Not exactly, the three head effigies each have a different expression, and the paint is straight out of Sherwin Williams. Enough said. Sold @ $2500
Fig. UWP#5: Old Town Red is seldom seen with white decor, this animal head vase/bottle has too many strange things going on; the facial expression is odd, the engraving is wrong as is the human ears that adorn this replication of something, Raccoon? Sold @ $1500
Fig.UWP#6: Human? Animal? Quapaw Teapot! None of the above. Walls engraved? Too much going on and a face that never was seen before, all on one item! That's what makes it rare. Sold @ $3000
Fig. UWP#7: This bowl has two facing felines of some kind. They are not the style used in Mississippian vessels, nor any other in Prehistoric America. Beware of smiling cats! Sold @ $2500
Fig. UWP#8: Who ever saw a Pink & white human effigy water bottle? Even Red & White is scarce! The medallion face on a full figure with hands on knees is strange. Sold @ $3500
Comment