Djenne Ceramic Fetish Vessel

A line of round studs runs down the front like a row of tiny, serious buttons.

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. Vessels from the Djenne region are often called fetish pots in the trade, and the raised studs, textures and stopper-like necks are features seen across the group. The body is a tall oval with a small collared neck and a pointed finial. Four raised bosses climb the front, fine incised texture covers the sides, and the sandy clay is mottled in pale tan and grey. It is 9 inches high and 4 in diameter.

A sober piece of clay, in a tidy row of buttons.