Dogon Ceramic Vessel, Mali

Ochre above, terra cotta red below, and smoke clouds along one side, as if it had been close to the cooking.

This vessel is Dogon, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 20th century, made of terra cotta with pigment. Dogon potters, traditionally women, generally build large round pots by hand and fire them in open fires, which often leaves dark fire clouds across the surface. Here the globular body rises to a rolled rim on a short neck. The upper third is decorated with impressed bands and patterns in ochre, ending in a row of short dark dashes, while the lower body is a burnished red slip. It is 18.5 inches high and 17 in diameter.

Round, sturdy and in no mood to tip over.