Hx W x D: 36.2 x 18.3 x 17.7 cm (14 1/4 x 7 3/16 x 6 15/16 in.)
Type:
Sculpture
Geography:
Nigeria
Date:
Mid-20th century
Label Text:
African potters--primarily women--handbuild a variety of vessels that they embellish with beautiful colors, designs and motifs before firing them at low temperatures. Containers made for daily use hold water or serve as cooking utensils. They also make vessels to be used in special ceremonies or that become part of an assemblage of objects placed in a shrine.
When a woman marries, her mother makes or buys one of these vessels, which is placed on tri-forked sticks in the woman's home. The small bowl serves as both a lid and an eating bowl.
Description:
Vessel on tripod legs with a long and wide neck covered with red slip and a body that is black and ovoid. There is a bowl shaped concave lid that fits over the vessel's mouth. The interior of the vessel is grey in color.
Provenance:
Arnold Rubin, collected in Kona town, Nigeria, 1965 to ?
Roy and Sophia Sieber, Bloomington, Indiana, -- to 1989
Published References:
Kreamer, Christine Mullen. 2003. " A Tribute to Roy Sieber: Part 2." African Arts 36 (2), p. 16, no. 11.
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/