The ancient inhabitants of the site of Casas Grandes, located in Mexico close to the border with New Mexico, produced some of the most striking pottery of the Southwest, as evidenced in this stunning bird-effigy pot. The city of Casas Grandes was a center of commerce and trade. Here, warehouses were discovered filled with large quantities of shells, paint pigments and turquoise. It is believed that the people of Casas Grandes traded their local turquoise with the inhabitants of Central Mexico in exchange for tropical birds such as the parrot and macaw. The Peublo indians had a deep ritual need for feathers from these birds because these avian creatures were a powerful symbol of fertility. This reverence for the exotic birds is represented in their pottery. This distinctive vessel, with its sytlized parrot head and tail, evokes in a creatively abstract manner the striking patterns of exotic bird feathers and body shapes. Here the artist has appeared to tame nature through linear geometric designs. It is obvious from the sensitive and artistic rendering of this vessel that the Casas Grandes people had a deep awareness of nature, its visual expression through their pottery creating a window into the realm of the natural spirits.