Djenne Bell-Form Vessel

Clay ropes, or perhaps serpents, descending a dome. Decide for yourself.

This bell-form vessel is from the Djenne tradition of Mali’s Inland Niger Delta, 12th to 17th centuries. Djenne potters often enriched their wares with applied clay, and here long ridged coils run down the sides in vertical and curving lines above a raised band near the base. A small knob finial rises from a textured cap. The pale buff surface is dry and lightly mottled with darker traces.

Fourteen inches. Quiet silhouette, deep relief. A calm that borders on the monumental.