Djenne Ceramic Fetish Vessel

A neat, flared cylinder with a nipple on top and cross-hatched sides.

This terra cotta fetish vessel is Djenne, from Sanga Area, Mali, West Africa. Djenne terra cotta is known for its long tradition in the inland Niger Delta region of Mali, where earthenware figures and vessels have been made for many centuries. A tall, hollow-looking form that widens toward a flat base, with a flat flared top and a small knob at its center. Fine hatching covers the surface, interrupted by a single raised boss at the front. The clay is peach-pink and scuffed. It is 3.1 inches wide, 2.75 deep and 5.1 high.

Modest in size, strict in pattern.