Bobo Ceramic Vessel, Burkina Faso

All belly, no apology. A pot built around what it holds.

Bobo potters of Burkina Faso, West Africa, made this vessel in terra cotta in the 20th century. Clay vessels across the region are commonly made for carrying and storing water, grain or other household goods. This one swells into a nearly spherical body under a short, flared neck. Incised chevron lines curve across the lower shoulder like a half-drawn smile. The surface is a deep chocolate brown, smoky and uneven, with a darker blotch near the upper right where the firing seems to have flared.

About 17 inches tall. Hollow, heavy-looking and entirely unbothered by fashion.