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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Taupou, post: 4310756, member: 45&quot;]You are right in questioning this pot.&nbsp; It was made by Cedar Mesa, a pottery factory and wholesaler in Blanding, Utah.</p><p><br /></p><p>They manufactured souvenir pottery for the tourist trade, and hired primarily Navajo workers to decorate and sign the pottery to the specifications of the factory.&nbsp; It was made on an assembly line, from cast molds, and then decorated with stencils, and signed by the workers, who did not create the pottery itself.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>It was not traditional Native American pottery by any means, despite the claims of the factory, although they did produce dozens of designs, patterns, or &quot;themes&quot; in a &quot;Southwest&quot; style.&nbsp; This particular pot is from the &quot;Ancient Shadows&quot; line, whose designs are taken from ancient Native American petroglyphs.</p><p><br /></p><p>There was no connection with any Native American tribe, other than the fact that the company hired some Navajo workers. The company owners were not members of any U.S. tribe.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Although the factory did provide jobs for some Navajo workers, it probably did more damage on the whole to the Native American economy. The income of individual tribal member potters, making authentic, traditional pottery, is hurt when tourists end up buying Cedar Mesa, or other factory pottery, instead of the real thing.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Recently the factory merged with two former competitors, Mesa Verde, and Ute Mountain Pottery.&nbsp; All were factories making similar southwest souvenir pottery, that hired primarily Navajo or Ute tribal members to decorate and sign the items. So Cedar Mesa Pottery no longer exists as an independent company.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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