Nupe Ceramic Storage Vessel

Rope-like ridges and half-moon arches, pressed in by patient hands.

This terra cotta storage vessel was made by Nupe potters of Nigeria, West Africa, in the 19th century. Big clay jars like it were commonly used to hold water or grain in the household. A broad, rounded body sits on a flared foot beneath a shallow neck. Two raised ridges, twisted like cord, frame a band of arches and straight hatching that stands out in pale cream against deep brown. Below, the surface is smooth and burnished to a warm sheen.

About 20 inches tall. A jar with real presence, and the hatching to prove it.