Baganda Ceramic Vessel, Uganda

Bulbous feet, a body like a drum, and no hint of compromise.

This vessel is terra cotta, made by the Baganda peoples of Uganda, East Africa, 20th century. Potters in the kingdom of Buganda are known for finely finished, dark-surfaced wares. A squat cylindrical body rises to a short, narrow neck, circled by bands of chevron and lattice pattern pressed into the clay. A pierced collar sits below. From it, thick, rounded lobes spread outward in a ring, each one ribbed with rope-like lines and topped with a small round boss. Twenty-one and a half inches high and 25.5 inches in diameter.

It stands its ground on a great many feet.