Essay On Pottery In America

A History of Pottery In America
Pottery has been a part of the American heritage, but when did pottery become so prevalent in America? The early Americans came to this land with only what they could carry, having to at times remake their cooking pots and bowls, clay was a readily available substance they found. Over the years, the earliest Americans added decorations to their pottery, adding beauty to the everyday objects. The Colonial Americans used pottery because most were too poor to have brought over many cooking pots. Soon there were many pottery shops in the Colonies. As we look at more modern pottery though, we see that it has been transformed into an art form, with many sculptures and decorative pieces; however there are still many today who use their skills to make functional pieces. Pottery was brought to this continent by the earliest immigrants to this land, each group impacting the others, and has been part of the American legacy for generations. Today …show more content…
The early Americans started by using rough forms out of necessity in order to make everyday items, but over the years improved upon their work, adding beauty to the everyday function and at times intricate designs and also making figurines for decoration and play. In the colonial days we see that the first immigrants chose to make pottery so they had pots that were slow to wear out and somewhat easy to make and maintain. As with the Native Americans before them, they quickly started making their potteries more beautiful while still maintaining the functionality. When we get to more modern potteries though we see a major shift in the pottery business. The types of modern pottery in the USA range from the functional pieces, to giant sculptures. In conclusion we have seen the effect pottery has had in America, giving function and beauty to those who employ the skill, and hopefully we will see more changes to