Vintage wedding vase.

Condition is as per images.

Traditional Native American wedding vases have been around for many years, and they are still considered an essential part of many Native American wedding ceremonies. Those who aren’t familiar with Native American wedding vases might not necessarily realize it, but each specific part of a wedding vase carries meaning. A lot of work goes into creating the perfect vase for a wedding.

The parents of the groom have traditionally been responsible for creating the wedding vase. To start, they will go to a local river and find clay to create their vase. By combining the clay with temper (sand or silica to give the clay body) they will then hand-build the vase. The pottery is fired traditionally outside in an open pit and then cleaned and polished so it will be ready to be used during the wedding ceremony.

A Native American wedding vase, like the Native American Santa Clara Handbuilt and Handcarved Wedding Vase, is anything but ordinary. The shapes used to make the wedding vase and the decorative features on the outside are meant to symbolize the marriage that is to take place.

One spout on the wedding vase represents the husband; the other, the wife. The handle in the middle of a wedding vase represents the unity that a husband and wife will achieve when they come together on their wedding day. The space between the handle and the two spouts is a representation of the couples’ circle of life.

The Native American Wedding Vase