Tohono O'odham Pottery

I've seen only a few pieces of pottery attributed to be Tohono O'odham. I'm sure there is more out there, it just seems, like the Chemehuevi's, they may have a few good potters but, as a tribe, they don't produce much pottery.

The Friendship bowl pictured here was signed "Angea Tohono O'odham" on the bottom. Except for that I'd have had no idea where it may have come from. Turns out the Angea family is known for their Friendship bowls. Unfortunately, their pottery is made very well and they have been quite successful in their marketing efforts: knock-offs (made by some of their neighbors) have appeared. The fakes are painted with black acrylic paint (blacker and shinier than the natural mesquite-derived Angea family paint), the painted dresses don't touch the ground and the painted heads are too round. The clay used by the Angea family and in the fakes comes from the same source near South Hickiwan (AZ) but the final product is not the same quality.