Gurunsi Vessel Depicting a Female

A woman, a vessel, and her hands on her head.

Pottery in the Gurunsi region of Burkina Faso was largely the work of women, and figurative vessels like this were made for special purposes in the household and ritual rather than everyday cooking. This terra cotta example, from the 20th century, has a full rounded body for the torso, with small breasts and a pronounced navel. Her arms rise to clasp her head. The open mouth becomes the spout, wide and round beneath small modeled eyes.

Sixteen and a half inches tall on a short foot. The surface is weathered gray-brown, with traces of reddish clay. A jar with a point of view.