When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Condition:
Very good vintage handcrafted condition. All three pieces are intact with no cracks or major chips observed. There is normal minor surface wear, rubbing and handmade variation consistent with age and traditional pottery construction. Each piece is signed or inscribed on the underside. Original Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual provenance tag is included. Please review all photographs closely for exact condition.
Description:
Beautiful three-piece collection of authentic Cherokee blackware pottery from the Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Cherokee, North Carolina, representing artists of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Included with the pottery is the original Qualla Co-Op identification tag reading:
“QUALLA CO-OP
Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Inc.
of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians”
The reverse states:
“This article was made by a Cherokee Indian and a member of the Qualla Arts and Crafts. Cherokee Indian Reservation, Cherokee, North Carolina.”
This provides excellent original provenance for the group.
Particularly Important Attribution
The approximately 5-inch center vessel is hand-inscribed on the bottom:
“L. Bigmeat />
The inscription and decorative style are consistent with documented pottery by noted Eastern Cherokee potter Louise Bigmeat Maney, a member of the important Bigmeat pottery family.
The other two vessels are also individually hand signed/inscribed on their bases, although portions of those signatures are difficult to decipher with certainty. They are therefore being sold as signed Qualla Cherokee pottery without speculative artist attribution.
Three Pieces Include:
1. Tall Rounded Blackware Vase
* Approximately 5” high
* Rounded / ovoid form
* Deep smoky-black finish
* Incised geometric triangular motifs
* Incised decorative band around rim
* Signed L. Bigmeat Maney / Cherokee N.C.
2. Flared-Rim Pot / Vase
* Approximately 4” high
* Soft smoky black and charcoal firing coloration
* Flared rim
* Incised repeating circular, diamond and geometric decoration
* Hand signed/inscribed on underside
3. Small Round Bowl
* Approximately 3” high
* Rounded low form
* Deep blackware surface
* Incised geometric decoration around shoulder
* Hand signed/inscribed on underside
A standard soda can is shown in one photograph for scale only and is not included.
About Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual
Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual was founded in 1946 in Cherokee, North Carolina and has long served as the cooperative for traditional artists of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
The cooperative was established to preserve Cherokee artistic traditions, maintain standards of workmanship and provide a direct market for Cherokee craftspeople.
Pottery sold through Qualla is individually handmade rather than mass produced.
Condition
All three vessels are in very good vintage condition.
Observed condition includes:
* No major cracks
* No major chips
* Light surface rubbing and handling wear
* Natural firing and color variations
* Minor irregularities inherent to handmade pottery
* Original incised decoration remains clear
* Bottom signatures remain visible
* Original Qualla paper provenance tag has age and handling wear
Please examine the photographs carefully, including the detailed images of the signatures and original Qualla tag, as they form an important part of the description.
A particularly attractive collection for a collector of:
* Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians art
* Cherokee pottery
* Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual
* Louise Bigmeat Maney / Bigmeat family pottery
* Native American blackware
* Appalachian folk art
* Southeastern Native American art
* American studio pottery
Sold as one three-piece collection.
