Maria Poveka
Vintage 1950s American Anglo-Indian Vases
Clay
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pottery
Clay
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pottery
Clay
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pottery
Clay
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pottery
Clay
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pottery
Clay
Vintage 1930s American Native American Native American Objects
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century More Art
Clay
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Steel, Brass, Gold, Silver
2010s Argentine Modern Platters and Serveware
Ceramic, Pottery, Clay
Antique Mid-19th Century English Platters and Serveware
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Architectural Models
Metal
Late 20th Century American Vases
Pottery
Mid-20th Century American Native American Pottery
Pottery
20th Century American Native American Vases
Clay
1940s American Modern Landscape Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s American Tableware
Linen
Antique Mid-19th Century English Regency Platters and Serveware
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century American Modern Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Platters and Serveware
Onyx
Mid-20th Century American Native American Vases
Earthenware
Early 20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Pottery
Vintage 1950s American Native American Ceramics
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Platters and Serveware
Marble
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Earthenware
Vintage 1950s American Native American Pottery
20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Earthenware
Vintage 1960s American Native American Ceramics
20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
A Close Look at native-american Furniture
Native American broadly describes any Indigenous people in North America and encompasses hundreds of tribes and groups, all with distinct cultures. Native American–style furniture and decor likewise varies widely, from pieces created by Indigenous people to those appropriated by non-native designers.
Indigenous furniture’s rich heritage includes the bentwood boxes of the Northwest Coast carved from cedar for storing household or ceremonial objects. Generations of Native American people have made baskets for holding household items, with those in the Northeast using sweetgrass and those in the Southeast using pine needles and wicker. Artisans in the Plateau region wove watertight pieces like cradles from plant materials. Although these objects were intricately made, they were usually utilitarian rather than decorative.
The colonization of North America and the removal of Indigenous people from their lands led to the suppression of these practices. Many styles that used Native American motifs — such as Southwestern style, which was heavily influenced by the geometric patterns of Navajo textiles — have historically not involved Indigenous creators and, instead, have taken their traditions without their tribal context.
When decorating a home with Native American–style furniture, it is important to do so respectfully, by understanding the origins of motifs and objects and examining who profits from their sale. There are now Indigenous-led companies, such as Cherokee designer Cray Bauxmont-Flynn’s Amatoya and Totem House Design, promoting Indigenous work in furniture and home decor. Supporting Indigenous artists and artisans is essential to confronting the still pervasive issue of cultural appropriation in design.
Find a collection of Native American living room furniture, folk art, rugs and carpets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.