Malian Ceramic Vessel

The whole surface is pressed with tiny zigzags, as though someone rolled a patterned cord around it before it dried.

This vessel is Djenne, from Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 19th century. It is impressed terra cotta. The inland Niger delta around Djenne has a long pottery tradition, and potters there commonly decorate wet clay by rolling carved or twisted cord roulettes across it. The jar is a broad ovoid with a short, rolled lip. Fine impressions cover the body, crossed at the widest point by a smooth band set between incised lines. The surface is earthy tan. It is 18 inches wide, 18 deep and 20 high.

Built to carry a great deal, with time left over for texture.