Lobi Footed Vessel, with Animal Motifs

Reptiles climbing the sides of a pot. In Burkina Faso, that is not carelessness.

Lobi pottery served the household and the shrine, and vessels with applied figures and projections were set apart from purely everyday wares. This large footed terra cotta vessel was made in the 20th century. Sixteen inches tall, it has a broad, rounded body and a flared rim with a small loss. The surface is covered in fine hatched texture, set with rows of conical spikes, while applied reptile figures climb the sides. A pedestal foot pierced with triangular openings holds it up. The clay has darkened to deep gray-brown, lighter where it has worn.

Not a vase. A small ecosystem.