H x W x D: 30.1 x 28.7 x 28.9 cm (11 7/8 x 11 5/16 x 11 3/8 in.)
Type:
Ceramics
Geography:
Ghana
Date:
Mid 20th century
Label Text:
African potters--primarily women--handbuild a variety of vessels they embellish with , designs and motifs which they then fire at low temperatures. They make containers for daily use such as holding water or cooking food over an open fire. They also make vessels to be used in special ceremonies or that become part of an assemblage of objects placed in a shrine.
This example, an embellished elaboration of a domestic pot shape, is attributed to the Ewe peoples, possibly of the Kpandu area. It is likely influenced by the Akan abusua kuwruwa, the proverb pots used in family shrines both in homes and by community graveyards. The ladder form refers to a proverb about how everyone has to climb the ladder of death. The faces symbolize those who accompany the deceased on his journey to the afterlife.
Description:
Globular shaped vessel with a short wide neck with 3 rows of deep grooves and a scalloped edged rim. The surface is covered with a ladder, a star, a face, a figure.
Provenance:
Mr. and Mrs. William Brill, New York, -- 1971
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