Mohave Effigy Jar

ca. 1920

6.875" H x 4.25" L x 3.75" W

Hand Coiled Clay Pottery of a Female Human Effigy and Painted Geometric Patterns

In Good Condition with Minor Surface Wear

Mohave (or Mojave) Effigy Jar is a distinctive type of traditional pottery created by the Mojave people (also spelled Mohave), a Native American tribe from the Colorado River region in what is now California, Arizona, and Nevada.

Mojave effigy jars are human or anthropomorphic figurine vessels—functional or ceremonial pottery shaped to represent human figures (often with faces, bodies, arms, or multiple heads), decorated with painted designs, and frequently adorned with glass bead "jewelry" (necklaces, earrings) applied after firing. They emerged prominently in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, though the tradition continues among contemporary Mojave/Maricopa potters (Maricopa pottery shares close stylistic ties due to cultural exchanges).