Nupe Terra Cotta Vessel

Two feet of clay, and not one thin wall in it.

Nupe potters in Nigeria made this vessel in the early 20th century, a size meant for the compound, for storing water or grain. Thick, hand-built walls carried such jars through years of daily use. It rises tall and ovoid from a narrow foot to full shoulders, closing under a heavy rolled rim.

Fine diagonal striations, pressed in with a tool, cover the body. Incised double lines sweep across the shoulder in long arcs. The brown clay carries patches of red and smoky gray, with small chips near the foot.

It does not need a table. The floor will do.