Cherokee Pottery

The intricate designs and complex patterns of Cherokee pottery have been developed over centuries. Both timeless and time-honored, these singular works of pottery are still crafted by the proud hands of Cherokee women in Western North Carolina. Cherokee Pottery recounts the history of a tradition passed from elder to child through countless generations. Anna Fariello, associate professor at Western Carolina University, explores the method and meaning molded into each piece, along with the stories of the potters themselves.

Author Biography

Anna Fariello is currently an associate research professor at Western Carolina University, where she is building the Craft Revival digital collection and directing From the Hands of our Elders, a project to document twentieth-century Cherokee arts. She is a former research fellow at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art and Archives of American Art in Washington, D.C., and former field researcher for the Smithsonian Folklife Center. She is co-author of the textbook Objects and Meaning: New Perspectives on Art and Craft and was visual art editor for the Encyclopedia of Appalachia.