Native peoples of the southwest have been making pottery for nearly two thousand years, and the collection of southwestern pottery held by the Millicent Rogers Museum offers a representative look at the traditions of this craft.

From the prehistoric to the contemporary, ceramics have traditionally served primary functions of daily living. Created for cooking, storing food, carrying water and ritual use, pots have been mostly utilitarian.  Only in the most recent century have we seen a significant transition in the perceived and realistic purpose of pueblo pottery. 

Through exposure about this craft beyond tribal borders, a greater understanding and appreciation for native ceramics has elevated the making of household vessels to an art form preserved as a national treasure.

Although Millicent Rogers herself was not an avid collector of Native American pottery, significant collections representing a variety of pueblo pottery styles have been added to the Museum’s holdings, including a large collection of work by the family of Maria Martinez.