Bambara Terra Cotta Wedding Vessel

Before the 18th century, or perhaps during it, a woman made a pot for a wedding.

Pottery in the region was traditionally the work of women, and generous vessels held water, grain or other provisions, with special examples marking occasions such as marriage. This Bambara wedding vessel from Mali dates to the 18th century or earlier. It stands over twenty inches tall, with a full rounded body, a flared neck and a low foot. Bands of incised and impressed ornament circle the shoulder: rows of dotted triangles, zigzags and fine chevrons, with a twisted-cord border at the rim.

The reddish-brown surface has a soft sheen, worn lighter in places, with the gentle irregularities of a hand-built pot. Terra cotta that has outlasted most of its guests.