Piyulaga village, Mato Grosso, Brazil, South America
Accession Date:
20 Mar 2018
Collection Date:
1981 to 1983
Notes:
Ceramic pot. The pot is round with protrusions on the rim. The pot has been polished, then slipped red on the exterior and black on the top and interior.
Notes by the collector, Emilienne Ireland: Low-fired clay, red slip exterior, interior painted with a mixture of juice of a vine, soot, and water. "Crab container" (yelátukána). A dish of this size is typically used for seasonings, such as salt, crushed peppers, or a mix of the two, or perhaps to cook something small, such as oily fish liver. Note this crab has 10 legs arranged somewhat unsymmetrically. Pots sometimes are exceedingly accurate in representing the animal, while at other times the representation is more fanciful. Perhaps it's a matter of showing the essential features of the creature, and "lots of legs all around the body" is certainly a good way to represent a crab.
