Skull Pottery Sherd
Sherd with a centered skull, brushed from suspicious sand at desert sites; used in Decorated Pot crafting.
Description
The fragment is used to craft a Decorated Pot. Place four sherds (or plain bricks) in a plus shape around the empty center slot of the crafting grid; the face that points outward in each slot defines which side of the pot displays that design. The finished Decorated Pot drops as a whole item only when broken bare-handed — using any tool breaks it back into its component pieces. The pot has a single inventory slot and accepts hoppers above and below for automation.
Guide
How to Get Skull Pottery Sherd in Minecraft
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1
Craft a Brush
Craft a Brush (Minecraft 1.20+) using 1 feather, 1 copper ingot, and 1 stick arranged vertically in a crafting grid. The Brush is the only tool that works on suspicious sand.
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2
Find a Desert Structure
Travel to a desert biome and locate a desert temple, desert well, or warm ocean ruins. Suspicious sand blocks generate naturally inside these structures as part of the Trails & Tales loot system.
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3
Locate Suspicious Sand
Suspicious sand looks identical to regular sand but has a slightly rougher texture. In desert temples, suspicious sand is found beneath the floor near the TNT trap. In desert wells, it appears under the well structure.
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4
Brush the Suspicious Sand
Hold the Brush in your main hand and use it on suspicious sand. Hold the use button until the brushing animation completes — the item drops from the block. Skull Pottery Sherd is one of several possible drops from desert suspicious sand.
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5
Use in Decorated Pot
Place 4 Skull Pottery Sherds (or any combination of sherds and bricks) in the 4 side slots of a crafting grid — top, bottom, left, right — to craft a Decorated Pot. The slot position determines which face of the pot shows the skull pattern.
Skull Pottery Sherd was added in Minecraft 1.20 (Trails & Tales). Each suspicious sand block contains exactly one item from a loot table; Skull Pottery Sherd is not guaranteed. A Decorated Pot broken with a tool drops the 4 sherds separately; broken by hand, it drops the pot as a whole item.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find Skull Pottery Sherd in Minecraft?
Skull Pottery Sherd is found by brushing suspicious sand in desert temples, desert wells, and warm ocean ruins. These are the only structures where desert suspicious sand generates naturally.
What tool do I need to get Skull Pottery Sherd?
You need a Brush to extract items from suspicious sand. The Brush is crafted from 1 feather, 1 copper ingot, and 1 stick, and was introduced in Minecraft 1.20.
Is Skull Pottery Sherd guaranteed to drop from suspicious sand?
No, Skull Pottery Sherd is not guaranteed. Each suspicious sand block contains exactly one item drawn from a loot table, and Skull Pottery Sherd is one of several possible outcomes.
What version of Minecraft added Skull Pottery Sherd?
Skull Pottery Sherd was added in Minecraft 1.20 (the Trails & Tales update), which introduced the archaeology system, the Brush, and Decorated Pots.
How do I use Skull Pottery Sherd in a Decorated Pot?
Place 4 sherds (or any mix of Skull Pottery Sherds and bricks) into the top, bottom, left, and right slots of a crafting grid. Each slot position corresponds to a specific face of the finished Decorated Pot.
What happens when I break a Decorated Pot with Skull Pottery Sherds?
Breaking a Decorated Pot with any tool causes it to drop the 4 individual sherds used to make it. Breaking it with an empty hand drops the Decorated Pot as a whole item, preserving it intact.
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