Mossi Lidded Storage Vessel with Single Handle on Top

A pot with a lid, a handle, and a very firm idea about what stays inside.

This lidded storage vessel with a single handle on top is Mossi, from Burkina Faso in West Africa, early 20th century, in low fired terra cotta. In Mossi and neighboring households, large covered pots kept grain, food and belongings safe from damp and pests. The form is nearly round. A thick loop handle rises from the domed lid, above a raised T-shaped ridge, and small lugs sit at either side of the seam. Firing has left the surface mottled in black and reddish brown, with a soft shine. Sixteen inches high and 16 in diameter.

Storage used to be a good deal more serious.