Dogon Vessel with Arrow Motif

Zigzags march around the shoulder, pointing the way up.

Dogon potters of Mali, West Africa, made this terra cotta vessel in the 20th century, and the record describes an arrow motif. Clay pots of this size are commonly used in the region for water or grain. A tall, flared neck sits on a rounded body. A band of dark grey triangles, drawn in repeating peaks, runs around the shoulder between pale lines. The clay is a warm orange-tan with smoky patches and one darker smudge low on the side.

About 19 inches tall and 20 wide. Quietly directional. It always knows where it is going.