Lobi Ceramic Vessel, Burkina Faso

Studded like armor, and just as unbothered by time.

Lobi potters of Burkina Faso, West Africa, built this vessel in terra cotta in the 20th century. Large clay jars like this are commonly used in the region to store water, grain or brewed drinks. The body is a rounded oval with a short, wavy-edged neck, and it is covered in rows of small raised pellets set in a grid of vertical and horizontal bands. A small hole pierces the shoulder. The clay is dry, brown and grey, with a worn, earthy surface.

About 19 inches tall. A serious pot, and it knows it.