Hx W x D: 8.7 x 19.3 x 18.8 cm (3 7/16 x 7 5/8 x 7 3/8 in.)
Type:
Ceramics
Geography:
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date:
Early 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.
The potter gave this relatively simple hemispherical bowl definition by combining deeply grooved incisions with roulette patterns. The addition of small fiber loops provide both a decorative touch and a practical means by which to hang the bowl when not in use. The bowl could have had multiple uses, including holding water or food.
Description:
Dark colored bowl with a plant fiber handle and 2 rows of crisscross incisions around the top framing a plain band in the middle. Each row ends with a small depression.
Provenance:
Baron Léon Lambert collection, Belgium, before 1920
Exhibition History:
Purpose and Perfection: Pottery as a Woman's Art in Central Africa, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., November 15, 1992-June 15, 1997
Content Statement:
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