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The Angea Tohono O\'Odham Friendship Pot is a beautifully crafted piece of Native American pottery handmade by the Angea family. This unique clay pot symbolizes the bond of friendship and serves as a collectible item representing the Tohono O\'Odham tribal affiliation and cultural heritage. The friendship vase represents a social dance and all are invited to join. With its intricate design and traditional craftsmanship, this pottery piece is a special item that showcases the rich artistic traditions of Native American communities in the US.
The piece stands 6 3/4 inches high with a circumference of 21 inches, a maximum diameter of 7 inches and an opening of 5 inches. The vase depicts six dancing Tohono O\'Odham figures facing inward with arms linked. The back of each figure is fully rendered in three colors while the inward faces are simple line drawings. Along the base of the pot is depicted a line drawing of saguaro cacti and mountains in the distance. The pot is in excellent condition with no chips, scratches, or cracks.
The O\'odham are a group of Indigenous peoples primarily residing in the Sonoran Desert, encompassing parts of southern Arizona and northern Mexico. They are known for their deep connection to the land, their traditional agricultural practices, and their unique culture and language. The Tohono O\'odham (Desert People) were formerly known as Papago. The Tohono O\'odham reside on a government-created reservation in Arizona with some members living across the border into Mexico.
The Angea family of potters began when Joe Angea of Hickiwan Village married Felistia of Kaka Village. Felistia made pottery using local clay and materials. She taught four of her daughters and two sons to make pottery. The daughters taught grandchildren as well. Since members of the family signed their pottery only with the name Angea, it is generally not possible to determine which family member made individual pieces. This vase is signed Angea O\'odham which would indicate a date of manufacture after the tribe changed its name from Papago back to its ancestral name Tohono O\'odham in the 1980s.
