Zulu Ukhamba or Ritual Beer Vessel

Sorghum beer is not merely a drink. It is shared among family, among guests, and among the ancestors.

That is the setting for the ukhamba, a Zulu vessel made of terra cotta in the 20th century. Zulu potters traditionally crafted large earthenware vessels for brewing, storing and serving beer. This one has a full, rounded body with a wide shoulder and a small opening, about ten inches across. The surface is burnished to a deep, glossy black. Raised patches of small dotted bosses, known as amasumpa, stand out in matte grey, one as a round disc, another as a curving shape.

Nine inches high. Dark, round, patient. Pour something worth the occasion.