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For over two thousand years until the present day, peoples of the American Southwest and neighboring Mexico have shared a long tradition of pottery making.

The term "earthenware" refers to a type of porous, easily broken ceramic, which is made from clay, baked at low temperatures.

The shining surface of this plate was achieved by rubbing the slightly moist clay with a smooth object before firing; the matte surface of the feathers is the result of an application of slip.

Maria Martinez was the first internationally recognized American Indian ceramicist.