Teke Vessel with Loop Handles

Water is heavy, and the Teke knew a good handle.

Teke potters of the Democratic Republic of Congo shaped vessels by hand for carrying and storing water and other liquids, and handled forms made pouring and carrying easier. This terra cotta vessel, 20th century, has a full, round body on a low foot, rising to a tall, narrow neck with a flared rim. Two loop handles spring from the shoulders. Fine horizontal lines circle the neck, and faint diagonal marks run across the body.

The surface is a warm reddish brown with darker clouding from firing, and a few light patches of wear. Nearly eleven inches tall.

Balanced and generous. Dress a shelf with it, and nothing else.