Quapaw Culture Ceramic, Polychrome Water Bottle, 1500-1600 A.D.

Southeast United States, Quapaw Culture

Clay | Item 2425

This clay water bottle comes from the Quapaw Culture, a subgroup of the larger Mississippian culture. It’s estimated to have been made between 1500 – 1600 A.D. This date puts it into the proto-historic period. The bulbous circular base transitions into a long, narrow neck with a flared rim. The clay is an earthy red color and is painted with a slip colored in a deeper red and white. The design shows interlocking “S” shapes alternating between these red and white colors. The bottle is in excellent condition.

Here is a link to the Quapaw culture

The Museum of Native American History in Bentonville, AR has a brief write up more specifically about Quapaw Pottery.