Head pots are considered to be the best of the best, and the rarest of the rare when it comes to Native American pottery by many collectors. Made during a short time period at the end of the Mississippian cultural period around 1300-1500 AD, the realism of the these effigy pots highlights how far the artistic ability of the Mississippians evolved.

Head pots are thought to represent the deceased, and based on the closed eyes, open mouth and eerie appearance, I would agree. I am fascinated by the detail that went into the design of the mouth and teeth. The ear piercing holes are also intriguing, especially when you think about some of the ear ornamentation that is associated with this time period.

The headpot pictured above I have looked at dozens of times over the last couple of years trying to figure out what about it makes it so erie looking. What I finally concluded is that to me, the facial features were intentionally made to represent trauma.  When looking closely at the eyes, you will see that one eyelid area is swollen, while the other is not. On the same side of the face, the nose has been pushed over. The cheek area on the same side is a bit more pronounced and rounded, as if to also appear swollen. It makes me wonder if this was done to simply further the deceased appearance - or if it was an actual representation of a trauma that the deceased may have incurred causing his demise. (?)  

The suspension hole that is visible in the tab centered on the forehead is thought to have been used to tie on some additional onramentation rather than for use as suspension. I agree with this to a point, but one interesting anomoly is that on the 30 or so head pots that I examined in the Dr. Cherry collection, many had use wear at the top of these holes as well as the bottom, which is strange.  

Both of these pots are on display at the Museum of Native American Artifacts in Bentonville, Arkansas. For more information on head pots, be sure to get a copy of Dr. Cherry's book on Head Pots.

I hope you enjoy looking at the pictures, and appreciate the artistic achievement they represent. Feel free to add your comments or observations! Jim Bennett