The American Southwest Virtual Museum hosts a growing collection of pottery, including ceramic vessels, some of which are animated, type sherds, visual guides to terminology and types, as well as identification guides for each ware and type of pottery in the exhibits.

Terminology and Type Sherds – This gallery provides visual guides for identifying design elements, motifs, layouts, and vessel forms, as well as recreations of Harold Colton’s original type sherd pages.

Interactive Vessels – Viewers can zoom in on and turn the vessels in this gallery!

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To go directly to the full Pottery image gallery, click the picture at the top of the page. To browse the identification pages, use the menu links or select from the list below.

Acoma Wares – The identification pages have not yet been written for these pottery types. This link will open the image gallery instead.

Alameda Brown Ware – Angell Brown, Grapevine Brown, Kinnikinnick Brown, Rio de Flag Brown, Sunset Corrugated, Sunset Red, Sunset White-on-red (image galley only), Turkey Hill Red, Turkey Hill White-on-red (image gallery only), Tuzigoot Plain, Tuzigoot Red, Tuzigoot White-on-red, Verde Brown (image gallery only), Winona Brown, Youngs Brown

Cibola White Ware – Chaco Black-on-white, Escavada Black-on-white, Gallup Black-on-white, Kiatuthlanna Black-on-white, La Plata Black-on-white, Pinedale Black-on-white, Puerco Black-on-white, Red Mesa Black-on-white, Reserve Black-on-white, Snowflake Black-on-white, Tularosa Black-on-white, White Mound Black-on-white

Coconino Buff Ware – Coconino Red-on-buff, Winona Red-on-Buff

Hohokam Buff Ware – Casa Grande Red-on-buff, Estrella Red-on-gray, Gila Butte Red-on-Buff, Sacaton Red-on-buff, Santa Cruz Red-on-buff, Snaketown Red-on-buff, Sweetwater Red-on-gray

Hohokam Red Ware – Gila Red (image gallery only), Salt Red (image gallery only)

Hopi Wares – The identification pages have not yet been written for these pottery types. This link will open the image gallery instead.

Jeddito Yellow Ware – Awatovi Black-on-yellow, Awatovi Polychrome (image gallery only), Bidahochi Polychrome (image gallery only), Huckovi Black-on-orange (image gallery only), Jeddito Black-on-orange (image gallery only), Jeddito Black-on-yellow, Kawaioku Polychrome (image gallery only), Sikyatki Polychrome

Little Colorado White Ware – Holbrook A Black-on-white, Holbrook B Black-on-white, Leupp Black-on-white, Padre Black-on-white, St Joseph Black-on-white, Walnut Black-on-white

Mimbres Ware – Style 1 (Boldface), Style 2 (Transitional), Style 3 (Classic)

Mogollon Brown Ware – McDonald Corrugated (image gallery only), Three Circle Neckcoiled (image gallery only)

Navajo Wares – The identification pages have not yet been written for these pottery types. This link will open the image gallery instead.

Polacca Yellow Ware – Payupki Polychrome, San Bernardo Polychrome, Polacca Polychrome (image gallery only)

Prescott Gray Ware – Prescott Black-on-gray, Prescott Gray

Rio Grande Glaze Ware – Glaze A, San Clemente Glaze Polychrome

Roosevelt Red Ware (Salado Polychrome/Salado Red Ware) – Cliff Polychrome, Cliff White-on-red, Dinwiddie Polychrome, Gila Polychrome, Los Muertos Polychrome, Pinto Polychrome, Tonto Polychrome, Salado Red, Salado White-on-red

San Francisco Mountain Gray Ware – Deadmans Black-on-gray, Deadmans Gray, Deadmans Fugitive Red, Floyd Gray (image gallery only), Floyd Black-on-gray

San Juan Red Ware – Bluff Black-on-red, Deadmans Black-on-red

Tizon Brown Ware – The identification pages have not yet been written for this ware. This link will open the image gallery instead.

Tsegi Orange Ware – Cameron Polychrome, Citadel Polychrome, Dogoszhi Polychrome (image gallery only), Kayenta Polychrome, Kiet Siel Polychrome, Medicine Black-on-red, Tsegi Black-on-orange, Tsegi Orange, Tsegi Polychrome, Tsegi Red-on-orange, Tusayan Black-on-red, Tusayan polychrome

Tusayan Gray Ware – Coconino Gray, Honani Tooled (image gallery only), Kana’a Gray, Kiet Siel Gray, Lino Black-on-gray, Lino Gray, Medicine Gray, Moenkopi Corrugated, O’Leary Tooled (image gallery only), Tusayan Corrugated

Tusayan White Ware – Bidahochi Black-on-white (image gallery only), Black Mesa Black-on-white, Dogoszhi Black-on-white, Flagstaff Black-on-white, Kana’a Black-on-white, Kayenta Black-on-white, Sosi Black-on-white, Tusayan Black-on-white

White Mountain Red Ware – Fourmile Polychrome, Pinedale Black-on-red (image gallery only), Showlow Polychrome, St Johns Black-on-red (image gallery only), St Johns Polychrome, Wingate Black-on-red (image gallery only)

Winslow Orange Ware – Chavez Pass Polychrome (image gallery only)

Zuni Wares – Ashiwi Polychrome (image gallery only), Heshotauthla Polychrome (image gallery only), Kwanina Polychrome (image gallery only), Pinnawa Red-on-white (image gallery only), plainware (image gallery only)