Hopi Canteen Pottery

ca. 1880

8.5" H x 10.5" D + 2 - 1" handles

Red Clay Mudhead Looking Canteen Pot and has "911" handwritten on it by the Spout

In Good Condition for Age

A Hopi canteen is a traditional form of ceramic vessel created by the Hopi people, an Indigenous group residing on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. These canteens were essential utilitarian objects designed for carrying and storing water in the arid desert environment of the high mesas. Crafted from local clay, they feature a distinctive bulbous, spherical body with a flat back for stability, a short spout for pouring, and often ear-like handles or lugs for attaching straps. The form evolved in the 1500s, influenced by Spanish canteen styles introduced via Pueblo potters in New Mexico, and became a staple of Hopi daily life and cultural rituals.

Provenance:  From the Len and Toni Wood Private Collection, Laguna Beach, California