Djenne Ceramic Fetish Vessel

A long, smooth teardrop that has outlasted most of what once stood beside it.

This fetish vessel is Djenne, from the Sanga area of Mali, West Africa, and dates to the 16th to 18th century. It is terra cotta. Across the Mali region, plain hand-formed flasks and jars were made in great numbers, and many are generally associated with storage and carrying. The body here is a simple tapering oval, widest near the base, rising to a short neck and a thick rolled lip. The pale cream clay is mottled with grey and orange patches. It is 10.5 inches high and 6.25 in diameter.

No ornament, and no apology for it.