Tile
Hopi Pueblo
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Caption
Hopi Pueblo. Tile, late 19th–early 20th century. Clay, slip, 6 1/8 x 3 3/4 in. (15.0 x 9.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, X1047.11. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Collection
Collection
Culture
Title
Tile
Date
late 19th–early 20th century
Geography
Place made: First Mesa, Arizona, United States
Medium
Clay, slip
Classification
Dimensions
6 1/8 x 3 3/4 in. (15.0 x 9.5 cm)
Credit Line
Brooklyn Museum Collection
Accession Number
X1047.11
Frequent Art Questions
What were these built for? How were they used?
These tiles reflect a long-standing tradition of ceramics in the southwestern pueblos dating from 7500 B.C.E. to the present day. Historically all pottery production was for Native use but the Hopi began making tiles for decoration in the 19th century, like the ones you see in that drawer.The designs on these tiles mirrored the abstracted motifs on their pottery. By the early 20th century, merchants and collectors passing through the region created a market for portable Native tokens. Small bowls and decorative tiles using traditional Hopi designs filled this market nicely.
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