The Cherokee carved pipes out of wood, soapstone and clay, decorated with the animal icons of the different clans. They filled the pipe with tobacco and herbs and lit it with sacred fire. After paying homage to the Seven Sacred Directions, they would pass the pipe around the Council Circle to seek guidance from the Great Spirit when a difficult decision had to be made.
Cherokee women were responsible for weaving sturdy double-wall rivercane baskets for gathering crops, storing food and belongings, and hauling goods from one place to another. Mothers passed down their designs to their daughters. They decorated the baskets with paints or dyes made from berries, nuts and roots.
Cherokee sculpted useful items out of clay, etched designs in them for decoration and hardened them in the fire. They made pots for storing seeds, wedding vases, friendship pots, cooking utensils, planters, bowls and other containers. Potter's wheels were unknown; everything was molded by hand.
Masks and rattles were part of the tradition of battle preparation. The Cherokee warriors would carve frightening masks to wear for a pre-battle dance that mocked their enemies. Turtle shells and gourds were used to make rattles to frighten away evil spirits and invite the blessings of good spirits. The Cherokee would also use gourd masks for storytelling.
European trade brought glass beads to the Cherokee in the 17th century, which allowed them to produce elaborately beaded moccasins, bandolier bags, sashes, belts and leggings. Cherokee bead artist Martha Berry reports that the beaded bandolier bags were used as diplomatic gifts for chiefs of other tribes, a U.S. Army general and a Navy officer in the 1800s. This art form died out among the Cherokee from lack of time and materials for non-essentials after the" Trail of Tears."