Djenne Long-Necked Vessel

Jenne-jeno was a city of potters long before it was a name on a map. Or so the clay suggests.

This long-necked vessel is Djenne work from Mali, made between the 12th and 17th centuries. Potters of the Inland Niger Delta turned out jars and bottles in great variety, used in daily life and in ritual. This one has a full round body, a narrow neck, and a mouth that opens wide as a trumpet. The shoulder and neck carry a fine texture. The body is mottled tan and terra cotta red, pale where the surface has worn.

Ten inches tall. Simplicity, executed without apology.