Mohave Teacup Pottery

ca. 1910

2.25" H x 3.75" D + 2" H x 1" W Handle

Hand Coiled Clay Tea Cup Red and White with handle and Painted Hand Like Images Inside 

In Very Good Condition for Age

Mohave Teacup Pottery (noting the common alternate spelling "Mojave") refers to a distinctive style of small, handled ceramic cups produced by Mojave artisans, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These pieces are part of the broader Mojave pottery tradition, which adapted traditional techniques to appeal to the growing Euro-American tourist market along the Colorado River in Southern California and Arizona.

The Mojave people (known as Aha Makav, or "people who live along the river") have a long history of pottery-making using local materials like sedimentary clay sourced from the Colorado River and tempered with crushed sandstone. Traditionally, pottery was coiled by hand, dried, painted with geometric designs using mineral-based slips, and fired in open pits or simple kilns. While utilitarian vessels like bowls, ladles, and storage jars were common, the introduction of tourism—especially at train stops in places like Needles and Yuma—led to the creation of more decorative and novelty items, including teacup-like vessels with handles.

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