Nupe Terra Cotta Vessel

Thirty inches tall, twenty-six wide. A household’s water, taken seriously.

This Nupe vessel from central Nigeria was made in the early 20th century. Nupe women potters are known for large, well-fired storage jars, and this one was made to hold water. The swelling body narrows to a wide, slightly everted rim, with two upturned lug handles at the shoulder. An incised band circles the widest point, topped by a garland of arching lines and centered on a raised round boss. The surface is burnished to a soft sheen in deep reddish brown, darker in smoky areas, rougher at the base from everyday use.

It has worked for a living. It shows, and it is better for it.