If you are a collector or interested in specific types of art, then you know how important it is to get authentic pieces. You don’t want to pay a ton of money for something that isn’t even genuine. For Native American pottery, there are specific things you can look for to make sure you get a piece that was created by an actual Native American. Before buying anything, you should check if there is a signature on the piece.

If there is a signature on the piece, you can be sure that it is not authentic Native American pottery. American Indians did not sign their artwork, and people who really collect art know it. That is the easiest to detect. The next thing to keep in mind is perfection. If the part looks very new and has no flaws, it is probably not real. The pieces that have survived may be in good shape, but if there are no scratches or chips in the paint, you probably don’t have an actual piece.

Beyond the two aforementioned signs that these are Native American ceramic replicas, what else can you look for? The only other way to determine if you have a genuine piece unless you take it to someone for an appraisal is to have a decent understanding of the tribe that supposedly created the piece. If you are dealing with the Navajo Indians, for example, you won’t expect to see the same horse motifs that were common with the Cherokee Indians.

So while you can really enjoy Native American pottery and art regardless of whether it’s real or authentic, it definitely helps to be able to know if you should invest a lot of money in a piece. These simple steps will make it easy to select the right types of art for your home, and you never have to worry about buying something scam if you’re careful.