Djenne Ceramic Vessel, Mali

Cracked little pot with a red zigzag band around its shoulder.

This incised terra cotta vessel is Djenne, from Mali, West Africa. Djenne potters of the inland Niger delta in Mali are known for coil-built earthenware, often decorated with incised and applied bands of geometric pattern. Rounded earthenware vessel with a pale, uneven rim and a visible break near the lip. A band of red slanted lines circles the shoulder, with soft arch marks below. The surface is mottled grey, tan and orange. It is 4 inches high and 5.25 in diameter.

Wonky, patched with history, and handsomely striped.