Djenne Ceramic Fetish Vessel

A round-bellied figure on three little legs, hands folded over a patterned tummy.

This terra cotta fetish vessel is Djenne, from Sanga Area, Mali, West Africa. Terra cotta is a fired, unglazed clay that ranges from buff to deep orange or red, shaped by hand with coils or slabs. A grey-black vessel with a neck modeled as a face, with dotted eyes, a ridged nose and a small mouth. Hands rest across the rounded body, which carries white-filled diamonds and triangles. Three short legs support it, and the surface is smooth. It is 4 inches wide, 3.4 deep and 6.25 high.

Elegant, well-fed and entirely at ease.