The size alone of this storage vessel is a technical achievement. The gradations of color and texture are appealing. The interior retains the way the sides and base of the pot was built by the artist’s hands. It comes from a village in Burkina Faso now populated by Senufo peoples. However, they told the trader who bought the pot that they did not make it but found it abandoned and partially buried there. While dating is difficult, an earlier date, 19th century or even earlier is more likely than a mid to late 20th century one. The applied animal decorations suggest Tusyan or Gurunsi sources in terms of textures and iconography.
Description:
Handbuilt ceramic vessel, semi-ovoid form with rounded bottom, flat lip, with dot decoration and applied decoration of four animals, possibly swimming turtles.
Provenance:
Mona Gavigan, purchased ca. 1990 from a Gurunsi trader who obtained it from a Senufo village in Burkina Faso
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