Djenne Terra Cotta Vessel

The glow has outlasted the kiln by several centuries. Red slip, still burning.

This Djenne bottle comes from the Inland Niger Delta of Mali and dates to between the 12th and 17th centuries. Potters of the region, centered on the ancient city of Jenne-jeno, made vessels for storage, cooking and burial in a range of refined shapes. This one has a full, pear-shaped body rising into a tall neck and a crisply flared mouth, with a single fine line incised where neck meets shoulder. A burnished red slip covers most of it, while a broad smoky patch of fire-clouding darkens the lower body.

Nine inches. Proportion, unadorned.