The Native American Collection

About the Donors | Native American Cultures The Native American Home Page Basketry Collection: 1 | 2 Beadwork Collection: 1 | 2 | 3 Pottery Collection: 1 | 2 | 3

Native American
Brought together over the last 70 years, Pomona College's superb collection of almost 5000 Native American artifacts is particularly rich in Californian and Southwestern basketry, Southwestern ceramics, both Pre-Columbian and Historic, and in beadwork of the Plains and Great Lakes. These pieces were integral parts of daily life for the peoples who created them; they include clothing and household items like blankets and cookware, as well as decorative works, weapons and ritual objects. While many of the pieces served the same function, all possess unique aesthetic characteristics that make them culturally distinctive. Through superior craftsmanship with an eye for beauty, Native American artists created objects that met their needs while capturing their spirits. In this way, Pomona College's collections are both invaluable anthropological artifacts that inform us about their creators, and extraordinary works of art.