Exploring pueblo pottery is a gateway into the land, people, and native cultures of New Mexico. Born from an intrinsic need for storage vessels, these ceramics are today widely admired and collected for their beauty.

For one tribe, the Tewas, there is no word for art. 'My mother always told me pots are made to be used,' says potter Dora Tse-Pe of San Ildefonso Pueblo. 'They are sad if you don't use them.'

Despite the fact that many pieces fetch as much as $20,000, the idea that pottery is, above all else, inherently functional is still very much a part of American Indian culture.

Pueblo pottery is made using a technique that dates back more than 1,000 years. 'You could put me on a mountain, and I could make my pots,' says Ms. Tse-Pe. 'All I need is my clay.'"

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Meghan Yudes: Art that was made to be used (The Christian Science Monitor 7/13)